How do University Experiences Contribute to Students’ Psychological Wellbeing?

Abstract

Wellbeing has important implications for students’ success during and beyond university. As such, educators need clear empirical evidence of the aspects of university life that contribute to students’ wellbeing. We use a mixed-methods approach to ask whether and how students’ diverse university experiences contribute to their self-rated wellbeing. In an online survey, 696 students provided accounts of positive and negative experiences at university and self-rated their wellbeing using the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS). Most of the sample reported high wellbeing, though there was diversity in their reported experiences. Regression analysis revealed that students’ experiences at university significantly contributed to the variation in their wellbeing scores. Social and academic experiences were the strongest positive contributors to student wellbeing; whereas gender, social experiences and emotional experiences were the strongest negative contributors. Our findings offer guidance for strategies within academic and non-academic university contexts that can effectively and efficiently promote student wellbeing.

Staying the Life Course: Lessons Learned from the COVID-19 Pandemic Years

“…Following best practices and addressing the tough issues of the pandemic and its aftermath (Arneback & Jämte, 2021;Brooker & Vu, 2020;Huston & DiPietro, 2007) as well as provide a welcoming environment for faculty, students, and staff to the strongest degree possible (see the term "radical hospitality", Educational Innovator, 2017; Ledgerwood et al, 2021) and with support for the individual and collective traumas (Borah, 2021;Nagoski & Nagoski, 2020;Salerno et al, 2021) have potential to help with the current challenges and their emotional legacy. The awareness of the effect of social environments and importance of social support for individuals and their families also makes our institutions more equitable for many individuals (Elmer et al, 2020;Gee et al, 2012;Gibbons & Stock, 2018;Masten & Motti-Stefanidi, 2020;Schur et al, 2020).…”