Students’ Mental Health: Designing Support Through Co-Creation

Authors

  • Anna Lise Gordon St Mary's University https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4099-0830
  • Marta Ortega Vega Maudsley Learning, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
  • Nikki Anghileri St Mary’s University
  • Jonathan Nassar King’s College London
  • Olivia Scott Maudsley Learning, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
  • Katharina Stegmann St Mary’s University
  • Patricia A Zunszain King’s College London https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8853-5680

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5204/ssj.3653

Keywords:

student mental health, psychoeducation, co-creation, transitions

Abstract

Students who are first-in-family to attend university, and those who are otherwise without family support, are reported to be at increased risk of social isolation, poor mental health and non-continuation through transition points in their higher education journeys. Three London-based universities and a specialist National Health Service mental health provider combined expertise for a two-year project aimed at designing, delivering and evaluating a package of psychoeducation interventions. Co-created and co-designed with students, the project provided innovative transition support including accessible face-to-face workshops, drop-in sessions and an online resource package to maximise flexibility for students. The project combined education and health expertise to strengthen and protect mental health of students who are particularly vulnerable to the stressors that arise at the frequent transition points in a university career. Key outcomes focus on the importance of co-creation, flexibility and collaboration between education and healthcare providers to meet the growing needs of students.

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Author Biographies

Anna Lise Gordon, St Mary's University

Anna Lise is Professor of Education at St Mary's University and was a former Director of the university's Institute of Education. Currently, Anna Lise is part-time co-director of St Mary's new Centre for Wellbeing in Education where she works with a range of postgraduate students, and also on research projects and wider University initiatives. Anna Lise was the overall lead for the 'Mind the Gaps' project working in collaboration with two other universities and a specialist mental health provider. 

Marta Ortega Vega, Maudsley Learning, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

Marta is a healthcare researcher with a breadth of experience conducting mixed methods research to support policy and practice in the NHS and Higher Education. Her previous work has focused on mental health education and workplace wellbeing and she is passionate about improving mental health support in academic and professional settings through evidence based practice and non-clinical approaches to wellbeing.

Nikki Anghileri, St Mary’s University

Nikki has extensive experience as a lecturer in FE and HE, researcher, advisor, project manager, consultant and now head of a Widening Participation department.  All her professional roles have been driven by a passionate commitment to enhancing student and staff experiences, truly valuing diversity and developing inclusive models of practice. 

Jonathan Nassar, King’s College London

Jonathan's passion is within student support and success, including roles such as Head of 'Academic Support' & 'Student Engagement & Retention Lead' at University of West London. His current role is at King's College London as 'Student Experience Manager' for the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience. Jonathan and his team run a diverse set of initiatives and campaigns across the academic year, supporting the student's sense of belonging, community and experience. 

Olivia Scott, Maudsley Learning, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

Olivia is a Trainee Education Mental Health Practitioner with an interest in mental health and wellbeing in schools and university. She has previously worked as a mental health Research Assistant in the NHS and was involved in the co-production of this research as a student researcher.

Katharina Stegmann, St Mary’s University

Katharina has been a practitioner across different areas of Widening Participation at St Mary's University for many years, within Outreach and now Student Engagement & Success. For the 'Mind the Gaps' project, Katharina worked closely with partners and internal stakeholders to create a community of engaged Student Collaborators at St Mary's, who were keen to contribute their opinions and experiences on the project's themes.

Patricia A Zunszain, King’s College London

Patricia is a Professor of Multidisciplinary Mental Health Education, with a diverse background in Chemistry, Biophysics and Neuroscience. Aiming to translate basic science findings into clinically relevant outcomes, and educating students and researchers, she uses her diverse set of skills focusing on biochemical and social aspects of depression, resilience, diversity and neuroeducation, with a strong interest in service-learning.

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Published

2024-09-02

How to Cite

Gordon, A. L., Ortega Vega, M., Anghileri, N., Nassar, J., Scott, O., Stegmann, K., & Zunszain, P. A. (2024). Students’ Mental Health: Designing Support Through Co-Creation. Student Success, 16(1), 107–114. https://doi.org/10.5204/ssj.3653

Issue

Vol. 16 No. 1 (2025)

Section

Practice Reports

License

Copyright (c) 2024 Anna Lise Gordon, Marta Ortega Vega, Nikki Anghileri, Jonathan Nassar, Olivia Scott, Katharina Stegmann, Patricia A Zunszain

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Authors retain copyright and grant the Journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution International Licence (CC BY 4.0) that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.