Students as partners in mental well-being: co-creation and participatory practices in higher education.

Mental health concerns among students in South African universities have grown more severe in recent years, influenced by inequalities in access, institutional cultures and wider socio-economic pressures. Despite this, dominant mental health responses in higher education remain predominantly top-down and often neglect students’ lived experiences and diverse cultural identities. This paper aims to deepen the understanding of how participatory methods can act as transformative approaches for reimagining mental health support in university settings. The study draws on empirical reflections and Participatory Action Research (PAR) conducted at two South African universities. Through narrative interviews, photovoice, social media-based photovoice and engagement with culturally grounded support systems, the research examines how participation functions not merely as consultation but as co-creation of mental health practices. The study concluded that participatory approaches enhance students’ sense of belonging, agency and resilience. Peer-led initiatives and culturally rooted practices, including communal forms of care, proved vital in addressing the limitations of traditional, individualized mental health frameworks. These participatory activities empowered students to articulate contextually relevant strategies and to challenge institutional cultures that inadvertently perpetuate exclusion.