University student mental health research: look back to move forward

over the past decade that have focused on university student mental health. Common mental disorders are increasing in young people and those going on to higher education make up an important and sizeable sector of this population. At the same time, success in university studies is a major determinant of individual and societal health and prosperity. As a field of inquiry, university student mental health research gained momentum through the COVID-19 pandemic and associated campus closures, pivot to remote learning and social restrictions. Although research describing student well-being and mental health burden align globally, not enough is known about determinants that inform sustainable and scalable prevention and early intervention. Furthermore, research evidence should inform university policies, practices and benchmarks to ensure responsive and effective student well-being and mental health support that underpins academic and life success.

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Publication Details

Journal
BJPsych Open
Published
2026-06-16
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1192/bjo.2026.12024
Primary Topic
COVID-19 and Mental Health
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
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article

University student mental health research: look back to move forward

Anne Cecilia Duffy, Aileen O’Brien, Edward A. Selby, Kenneth R. Kaufman et al.
BJPsych Open
COVID-19 and Mental Health
article

University student mental health research: look back to move forward

Anne Cecilia Duffy, Aileen O’Brien, Edward A. Selby, Kenneth R. Kaufman, Rohan Borschmann, Edward R. Watkins, Lucy J. Robinson, Susan M. Sawyer
article en

Abstract

over the past decade that have focused on university student mental health. Common mental disorders are increasing in young people and those going on to higher education make up an important and sizeable sector of this population. At the same time, success in university studies is a major determinant of individual and societal health and prosperity. As a field of inquiry, university student mental health research gained momentum through the COVID-19 pandemic and associated campus closures, pivot to remote learning and social restrictions. Although research describing student well-being and mental health burden align globally, not enough is known about determinants that inform sustainable and scalable prevention and early intervention. Furthermore, research evidence should inform university policies, practices and benchmarks to ensure responsive and effective student well-being and mental health support that underpins academic and life success.

BJPsych OpenVol. 12(4)
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey (US), Royal Children's Hospital (AU), The University of Melbourne (AU), King's College London (GB), Queen's University (CA), University of Exeter (GB), University of Oxford (GB), Rutgers Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (NL), Murdoch Children's Research Institute (AU), Universidad de Londres (MX), Newcastle University (GB)
Openalex Percentile: Top 5%
COVID-19 and Mental Health
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University student mental health research: look back to move forward — Anne Cecilia Duffy, Aileen O’Brien, et al. · BJPsych Open (2026) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS