The Application and Practice of Experiential Teaching Models in Mental Health Education in Higher Education Institutions: A Case Study of the “5·25 Mental Health Month”

Against the policy backdrop of the Chinese Ministry of Education’s emphasis on enhancing the practicality of mental health education courses in universities, this study addresses the structural contradictions in current collegiate mental health education, such as “theoretical emphasis overshadowing practical application” and “deficiency in emotional cultivation”. It proposes the construction of a tripartite experiential teaching model integrating “objective orientation, activity design, and assessment innovation”. Through research analysis and case studies of the “5·25 Mental Health Month” thematic activities, the paper systematically explores the integration pathways of experiential teaching in mental health education. Furthermore, it suggests utilizing the second classroom as a platform and establishing a collaborative “curriculum + activities” evaluation mechanism to overcome implementation challenges of experiential teaching in large-class settings, thereby creating an educational ecosystem that mutually empowers explicit and implicit education. This research provides an actionable framework for translating classroom-based mental health education into life practice, offering significant insights for deepening the “knowledge-skill-emotion” integrated mental health education system in higher education.