Associations between study conditions and students’ mental health: Results from the StudiBiFra study

Abstract Background Study conditions are relevant for university students’ mental health and well-being. Previous research identified single factors associated with mental health, but it remains unclear, which study conditions at higher education institutions should be priority targets for institutional action. The aim of this study is to provide a comprehensive overview of students’ satisfaction with their study conditions and to analyse their associations with students’ mental health. Methods The cross-sectional StudiBiFra study encompasses data from 24,533 students across 13 higher education institutions in Germany. Data was collected between June 2021 and March 2023 using the Bielefeld Questionnaire on Study Conditions and (Mental) Health. Students rated study conditions in 22 domains and four scales of mental health outcomes. Mean scores for all scales were calculated and linear regressions were used to analyse bivariate associations. Results All domains of study conditions were associated with all domains of students’ men-tal health with regression coefficients ranging from r = 0.21 to r = 0.78. The more satisfied students were with their study conditions, the higher the reported well-being, and the lower the depressive symptoms, cognitive stress symptoms, and exhaustion. The highest associations were found for the domains of study conditions “examinations and academic achievements”, “time requirements”, and “fit of course content/competency development” with highest re-gression coefficients for the outcome of exhaustion. Conclusions The findings reveal significant moderate to high associations for all assessed study conditions with students’ mental health. Institutional action should focus on these study conditions by emphasising topics such as applying competencies during studies and good co-ordination of content and examinations. Thus, decreasing student burden and time pressure has the potential to promote mental well-being. Key messages • Study conditions are significantly associated with students’ mental health. • Higher education institutions should focus on study conditions to promote students’ mental well-being.