Mental health Challenge Competition: Achieving a step change in mental health outcomes for all students
Our Challenge Competition funded higher education providers to generate and test new approaches to improve mental health outcomes for students.
We funded 10 collaborative projects which brought together over 60 universities, colleges, charities and NHS organisations. We contributed £6 million to the fund, with match funding of £8.5 million from providers and partners, amounting to a total of £14.5 million investment.
The projects, which began in 2019 and concluded in 2022, focused on one or more of these priorities:
- Transitions from school or college into HE, including innovative approaches to pre-entry support and outreach activity, and from undergraduate into postgraduate study or employment, with a focus on susceptible or vulnerable groups.
- Programmes of early intervention such as providing new forms of mental health literacy training to staff and students or developing student analytics to inform improved and enhanced interventions.
- Approaches which provide a ‘step change’ in support for students: for example, developing an integrated approach between provider-level support services and those of local primary care and mental health services; or addressing barriers to accessing support across services and sectors.
The programme was evaluated independently, and the projects’ impacts and outputs shared in our resources library to help higher education providers improve support for student mental health and wellbeing.
Details of funded projects
| Lead provider | Project details |
|---|---|
|
University of Birmingham
|
Enhancing student mental health through innovation and partnership The project created a hub of qualified therapists and volunteers, providing therapeutic interventions for students in open-plan safe spaces without the need for appointments or waiting lists. Project partners:
|
|
University of Derby
|
Education for mental health: enhancing student mental health through curriculum and pedagogy The project created a national online toolkit for academics that provides guidance on designing curriculum and assessments that facilitate better student mental health. Project partners:
|
|
University of Keele |
Start to success – a whole community approach to supporting student transitions into, through and beyond university The project championed a ‘whole community’ approach to mental health, working with partners to remove barriers, improve support and enable student success. Project partners:
|
|
University of Lincoln
|
Transitioning students effectively: a student-led approach to mental health support The project created a peer-to-peer approach, developing processes, procedures and digital tools to enable students to support each other and themselves. Project partners:
|
|
University of Liverpool |
Working in partnership to improve student mental health The project developed sustainable clinical intervention and improved joined up working through clear referral pathways and interventions. Project partners:
|
|
Newcastle University |
BRinging Innovation to Graduate Mental Health TogethER (BRIGHTER) The project provided evidence-based psychological therapy to students in an ‘in house’ clinic run, and early intervention through curriculum-based ‘mind management’ skills training. Project partners:
|
|
University of Northumbria at Newcastle |
Mental health and analytics: a continuum approach to understanding and improving student mental health This project focused on innovative integration of technology, advanced educational data analytics, student relationship management, and effective models of support. Project partners:
|
|
University of Nottingham |
International student mental health – good practice guidance and intervention case studies This project aimed to discover what works in supporting the mental health and wellbeing of international students, creating case studies and a practical toolkit. Project partners:
|
|
University of Sussex |
SITUATE: Students In Transition at University: Aiming To Enhance mental and social health and wellbeing This project developed a mental health peer education training programme delivered by older students to younger students at stages of transition. Project partners: The Mental Health Foundation. |
|
The University of the West of England, Bristol |
Student mental health partnerships The project developed five local 'hubs' in different cities in England, forming partnerships between universities, the NHS and students' unions in each city to improve mental health care for students, connected through a National Learning Collaborative. Project partners:
|
Evaluation
We have also published:
- a report on 'What works' in supporting student mental health (October 2022)
- a report on co-creating mental health initiatives with students (October 2022)
- a report on higher education and NHS partnerships (July 2022)
- an interim evaluation report (August 2021)
- an 'early findings' evaluation report (September 2020)
- a report on the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the mental health Challenge Competition (August 2020).
10 July 2023 - New resource added from University of Sussex
15 May 2023 - New case study from University of Birmingham published: Enhancing student mental health through innovation and partnership
10 May 2023 - Added a new resource from Newcastle University: Clinical governance for mental health services
13 October 2022 - Final evaluation reports published
13 July 2022 - Northumbria University suicide prevention and data analytics case study added
12 July 2022 - Page restructure, and new resources and case studies published
17 August 2021 - Information and contact details updated for funded projects
02 September 2020 - Link added to the evaluation of the OfS Mental Health Challenge Competition
05 August 2020 - Link added to the report on the impact of coronavirus on OfS Mental Health Challenge Competition
Describe your experience of using this website