Advancing Mental Health Advocacy: A Systematic Review of Student-Led Research Advocating for Well-Being in Higher Education in Bukidnon

Supporting students' mental health requires programs that truly reflect their lived experiences and needs. Many student-led research efforts offer rich insights into how emotional well-being can be nurtured in academic environments. However, these findings are often left unused in shaping policies or support systems in higher education. There is an opportunity to build more responsive, effective, and student-centered mental health advocacy efforts by looking into these studies. The review followed a structured and layered method of analyzing nine selected articles to uncover patterns in student-led mental health initiatives. Articles were compared across studies and examined to understand their contributions to student well-being. The findings of this review show that student-led research plays an important role in improving mental health services in higher education. Studies highlighted how creative practices, such as music and storytelling, and everyday rituals, like coffee routines, can support emotional well-being. Results also pointed to the need for gender-sensitive, culturally aware, and policy-driven programs that address stigma and promote open conversations around mental health. The review emphasized that institutional programs may balance personal experiences and structural support to be truly effective. Schools can build more inclusive, responsive, and sustainable mental health services by integrating student voices into program development. These findings suggest that mental health programs could be rooted in both student experiences and institutional responsibility to create more inclusive and responsive support systems. Strengthening student welfare requires educational institutions to actively involve students in shaping programs that reflect their realities and promote a culture of emotional safety and connection.