ERIC Number: EJ1369871
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2023-Mar
Pages: 16
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0017-8969
EISSN: EISSN-1748-8176
Improving University Students' Mental Health Literacy Using Experiential Learning Opportunities
Reis, Arianne; Nguyen, Vivien; Saheb, Rowena; Rutherford, Erin; Sperandei, Sandro
Health Education Journal, v82 n2 p184-199 Mar 2023
Objectives: University students represent a vulnerable population to mental health and wellbeing issues. However, young people are likely to delay or fail to engage in help-seeking behaviours. Embedding mental health learning opportunities in curriculum design may improve the mental health and wellbeing of students, but there are challenges to embedding this material in non-health disciplines where students' intrinsic interests may not align with mental health-themed coursework. To explore this challenge, the present study involved embedding mental health literacy learning into an Event Management course through an experiential learning opportunity. Design: A quasi-experimental design involving university students divided into intervention groups (n = 40) and control groups (n = 83). Setting: Students in the intervention groups managed events across campuses of a major Australian university in support of a University Mental Health and Wellbeing Day. Students in the control groups managed non-mental health events. Method: Pre- and post-event surveys compared students' perceptions of experiential learning, of the effectiveness of student-led events in promoting mental health literacy and help-seeking behaviours in themselves and peers, and of embedding mental health learning into an experiential learning framework. Results: Results suggest that experiential learning opportunities that contain mental health literacy content in addition to course content can be valuable without interruption to core learning aims. Conclusion: This study is one of the first to evaluate the impact of innovative curriculum designs that embed mental health literacy in non-health disciplines, highlighting the opportunities for creative approaches to improving mental health education in universities.
Descriptors: Mental Health, College Students, Multiple Literacies, Experiential Learning, Well Being, Curriculum Design, Student Attitudes, Foreign Countries, Urban Schools, Educational Cooperation, Program Effectiveness
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Australia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A