Shannon Boulting

This project examined the current student mental health crisis with the aim of exploring and demonstrating how technology could improve student interaction with universities wellbeing services. The research fulfils the following objectives:

– Establish the effectiveness of student wellbeing services at present

– Determine how the effectiveness of student wellbeing services can be improved

– Explore how digitisation of student wellbeing services can bridge the shortcomings  identified through the project

– Deliver informed guidance for universities to incorporate digitisation into their Wellbeing Services 

These objectives were achieved using a holistic approach which utilised student and wellbeing staff perspectives on University Wellbeing Services through a literature review, survey and interview. The results showed a concerning gap between the poor supply of wellbeing services and the increasing demand from students on these services. It was shown through the creation of a prototype mobile application, called “SOS Student”, that wellbeing services and students alike would greatly benefit from the implementation of further digitisation and mobile technology.