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A longitudinal quasi-experimental study of a pedagogical approach to supporting undergraduate well-being and mental health: digital interdisciplinary accredited elective mental health literacy university course

Anne Duffy Orcid Logo, Nathan King Orcid Logo, Daniel Rivera, Kurtis Pankow Orcid Logo, Simone Cunningham, Elizabeth Tetzlaff, Kristen Kyone, Emily Dephoure, Adeleine Lyon, Lucy Robinson Orcid Logo, Edward Watkins, Charles Keown-Stoneman

BJPsych Open, Volume: 12, Issue: 2, Start page: e64

Swansea University Author: Kurtis Pankow Orcid Logo

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DOI (Published version): 10.1192/bjo.2025.10960

Abstract

Background: Entry to higher education coincides with a period of accelerated psychosocial and brain development. Student need for acceptable and accessible well-being and mental health support is straining university resources. Aims: To evaluate the acceptability and impact of a digital mental healt...

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Published in: BJPsych Open
ISSN: 2056-4724
Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 2026
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URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa71833
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Aims: To evaluate the acceptability and impact of a digital mental health literacy course tailored for undergraduates and delivered as an accredited interdisciplinary elective. Method: Analyses included pre&#x2013;post course survey data from enrolled students and longitudinal U-Flourish Well-Being Survey data from a comparison sample of non-course takers over the same period (2021&#x2013;2024). Linear mixed-effects models examined associations between course participation and 12-week changes in mental health literacy, psychosocial risk factors, well-being and common mental health concerns. Results: Pre&#x2013;post course survey data (N = 2884) supported high acceptability, improvements in resilience (+0.06; 95% CI 0.03&#x2013;0.08, p &lt; 0.001) and self-compassion (+0.65; 95% CI 0.46&#x2013;0.84, p &lt; 0.001), and a reduction in brooding (&#x2212;0.31; 95% CI &#x2212;0.44 to&#x2212;0.18, p &lt; 0.001). 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Future research should focus on more diverse student samples, underlying mechanisms and sustained effects.</abstract><type>Journal Article</type><journal>BJPsych Open</journal><volume>12</volume><journalNumber>2</journalNumber><paginationStart>e64</paginationStart><paginationEnd/><publisher>Cambridge University Press (CUP)</publisher><placeOfPublication/><isbnPrint/><isbnElectronic/><issnPrint/><issnElectronic>2056-4724</issnElectronic><keywords>Mental health literacy; anxiety; depression; well-being; university student mental health</keywords><publishedDay>1</publishedDay><publishedMonth>3</publishedMonth><publishedYear>2026</publishedYear><publishedDate>2026-03-01</publishedDate><doi>10.1192/bjo.2025.10960</doi><url/><notes/><college>COLLEGE NANME</college><department>Engineering and Applied Sciences School</department><CollegeCode>COLLEGE CODE</CollegeCode><DepartmentCode>EAAS</DepartmentCode><institution>Swansea University</institution><apcterm>Another institution paid the OA fee</apcterm><funders>This study was funded by an operating grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (grant number: TID 184571) and from the Mach Gaensslen and Rossy Family Foundations.</funders><projectreference/><lastEdited>2026-05-13T15:26:16.4606793</lastEdited><Created>2026-04-30T09:46:23.2929820</Created><path><level id="1">Faculty of Science and Engineering</level><level id="2">School of Engineering and Applied Sciences - Sport and Exercise Sciences</level></path><authors><author><firstname>Anne</firstname><surname>Duffy</surname><orcid>0000-0002-5895-075x</orcid><order>1</order></author><author><firstname>Nathan</firstname><surname>King</surname><orcid>0000-0003-4664-5456</orcid><order>2</order></author><author><firstname>Daniel</firstname><surname>Rivera</surname><order>3</order></author><author><firstname>Kurtis</firstname><surname>Pankow</surname><orcid>0000-0002-1782-3877</orcid><order>4</order></author><author><firstname>Simone</firstname><surname>Cunningham</surname><order>5</order></author><author><firstname>Elizabeth</firstname><surname>Tetzlaff</surname><order>6</order></author><author><firstname>Kristen</firstname><surname>Kyone</surname><order>7</order></author><author><firstname>Emily</firstname><surname>Dephoure</surname><order>8</order></author><author><firstname>Adeleine</firstname><surname>Lyon</surname><order>9</order></author><author><firstname>Lucy</firstname><surname>Robinson</surname><orcid>0000-0001-5838-8384</orcid><order>10</order></author><author><firstname>Edward</firstname><surname>Watkins</surname><order>11</order></author><author><firstname>Charles</firstname><surname>Keown-Stoneman</surname><order>12</order></author></authors><documents><document><filename>71833__36722__2664ea0a59354e8aa80b05fa0ffde0b0.pdf</filename><originalFilename>71833.VOR.pdf</originalFilename><uploaded>2026-05-13T15:23:10.0730810</uploaded><type>Output</type><contentLength>542756</contentLength><contentType>application/pdf</contentType><version>Version of Record</version><cronfaStatus>true</cronfaStatus><documentNotes>&#xA9; The Author(s), 2026. 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spelling 2026-05-13T15:26:16.4606793 v2 71833 2026-04-30 A longitudinal quasi-experimental study of a pedagogical approach to supporting undergraduate well-being and mental health: digital interdisciplinary accredited elective mental health literacy university course fefaac12947ce639c98ee81f632c5686 0000-0002-1782-3877 Kurtis Pankow Kurtis Pankow true false 2026-04-30 EAAS Background: Entry to higher education coincides with a period of accelerated psychosocial and brain development. Student need for acceptable and accessible well-being and mental health support is straining university resources. Aims: To evaluate the acceptability and impact of a digital mental health literacy course tailored for undergraduates and delivered as an accredited interdisciplinary elective. Method: Analyses included pre–post course survey data from enrolled students and longitudinal U-Flourish Well-Being Survey data from a comparison sample of non-course takers over the same period (2021–2024). Linear mixed-effects models examined associations between course participation and 12-week changes in mental health literacy, psychosocial risk factors, well-being and common mental health concerns. Results: Pre–post course survey data (N = 2884) supported high acceptability, improvements in resilience (+0.06; 95% CI 0.03–0.08, p < 0.001) and self-compassion (+0.65; 95% CI 0.46–0.84, p < 0.001), and a reduction in brooding (−0.31; 95% CI −0.44 to−0.18, p < 0.001). Taking the course was associated with a reduction in anxiety (β = −0.41; 95% CI −0.55 to −0.27, p < 0.001) and cannabis use (proportional odds ratio 0.82; 95% CI 0.75–0.90, p < 0.001), improvement in sleep quality (β = 0.79; 95% CI 0.61–0.97, p < 0.001) and evidence of a protective effect on well-being (β = 0.24; 95% CI 0.11–0.36, p < 0.001) and depressive symptoms (β = −0.37; 95% CI −0.52 to −0.21, p < 0.001), compared with non-course takers. Effects differed by gender, with women benefitting most, but were comparable across minoritised student subgroups. Conclusions: Mental health literacy delivered as an accredited undergraduate interdisciplinary course is highly acceptable and associated with improvement in psychological coping and positive effects on student mental health and well-being. Future research should focus on more diverse student samples, underlying mechanisms and sustained effects. Journal Article BJPsych Open 12 2 e64 Cambridge University Press (CUP) 2056-4724 Mental health literacy; anxiety; depression; well-being; university student mental health 1 3 2026 2026-03-01 10.1192/bjo.2025.10960 COLLEGE NANME Engineering and Applied Sciences School COLLEGE CODE EAAS Swansea University Another institution paid the OA fee This study was funded by an operating grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (grant number: TID 184571) and from the Mach Gaensslen and Rossy Family Foundations. 2026-05-13T15:26:16.4606793 2026-04-30T09:46:23.2929820 Faculty of Science and Engineering School of Engineering and Applied Sciences - Sport and Exercise Sciences Anne Duffy 0000-0002-5895-075x 1 Nathan King 0000-0003-4664-5456 2 Daniel Rivera 3 Kurtis Pankow 0000-0002-1782-3877 4 Simone Cunningham 5 Elizabeth Tetzlaff 6 Kristen Kyone 7 Emily Dephoure 8 Adeleine Lyon 9 Lucy Robinson 0000-0001-5838-8384 10 Edward Watkins 11 Charles Keown-Stoneman 12 71833__36722__2664ea0a59354e8aa80b05fa0ffde0b0.pdf 71833.VOR.pdf 2026-05-13T15:23:10.0730810 Output 542756 application/pdf Version of Record true © The Author(s), 2026. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Royal College of Psychiatrists. This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence. true eng https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
title A longitudinal quasi-experimental study of a pedagogical approach to supporting undergraduate well-being and mental health: digital interdisciplinary accredited elective mental health literacy university course
spellingShingle A longitudinal quasi-experimental study of a pedagogical approach to supporting undergraduate well-being and mental health: digital interdisciplinary accredited elective mental health literacy university course
Kurtis Pankow
title_short A longitudinal quasi-experimental study of a pedagogical approach to supporting undergraduate well-being and mental health: digital interdisciplinary accredited elective mental health literacy university course
title_full A longitudinal quasi-experimental study of a pedagogical approach to supporting undergraduate well-being and mental health: digital interdisciplinary accredited elective mental health literacy university course
title_fullStr A longitudinal quasi-experimental study of a pedagogical approach to supporting undergraduate well-being and mental health: digital interdisciplinary accredited elective mental health literacy university course
title_full_unstemmed A longitudinal quasi-experimental study of a pedagogical approach to supporting undergraduate well-being and mental health: digital interdisciplinary accredited elective mental health literacy university course
title_sort A longitudinal quasi-experimental study of a pedagogical approach to supporting undergraduate well-being and mental health: digital interdisciplinary accredited elective mental health literacy university course
author_id_str_mv fefaac12947ce639c98ee81f632c5686
author_id_fullname_str_mv fefaac12947ce639c98ee81f632c5686_***_Kurtis Pankow
author Kurtis Pankow
author2 Anne Duffy
Nathan King
Daniel Rivera
Kurtis Pankow
Simone Cunningham
Elizabeth Tetzlaff
Kristen Kyone
Emily Dephoure
Adeleine Lyon
Lucy Robinson
Edward Watkins
Charles Keown-Stoneman
format Journal article
container_title BJPsych Open
container_volume 12
container_issue 2
container_start_page e64
publishDate 2026
institution Swansea University
issn 2056-4724
doi_str_mv 10.1192/bjo.2025.10960
publisher Cambridge University Press (CUP)
college_str Faculty of Science and Engineering
hierarchytype
hierarchy_top_id facultyofscienceandengineering
hierarchy_top_title Faculty of Science and Engineering
hierarchy_parent_id facultyofscienceandengineering
hierarchy_parent_title Faculty of Science and Engineering
department_str School of Engineering and Applied Sciences - Sport and Exercise Sciences{{{_:::_}}}Faculty of Science and Engineering{{{_:::_}}}School of Engineering and Applied Sciences - Sport and Exercise Sciences
document_store_str 1
active_str 0
description Background: Entry to higher education coincides with a period of accelerated psychosocial and brain development. Student need for acceptable and accessible well-being and mental health support is straining university resources. Aims: To evaluate the acceptability and impact of a digital mental health literacy course tailored for undergraduates and delivered as an accredited interdisciplinary elective. Method: Analyses included pre–post course survey data from enrolled students and longitudinal U-Flourish Well-Being Survey data from a comparison sample of non-course takers over the same period (2021–2024). Linear mixed-effects models examined associations between course participation and 12-week changes in mental health literacy, psychosocial risk factors, well-being and common mental health concerns. Results: Pre–post course survey data (N = 2884) supported high acceptability, improvements in resilience (+0.06; 95% CI 0.03–0.08, p < 0.001) and self-compassion (+0.65; 95% CI 0.46–0.84, p < 0.001), and a reduction in brooding (−0.31; 95% CI −0.44 to−0.18, p < 0.001). Taking the course was associated with a reduction in anxiety (β = −0.41; 95% CI −0.55 to −0.27, p < 0.001) and cannabis use (proportional odds ratio 0.82; 95% CI 0.75–0.90, p < 0.001), improvement in sleep quality (β = 0.79; 95% CI 0.61–0.97, p < 0.001) and evidence of a protective effect on well-being (β = 0.24; 95% CI 0.11–0.36, p < 0.001) and depressive symptoms (β = −0.37; 95% CI −0.52 to −0.21, p < 0.001), compared with non-course takers. Effects differed by gender, with women benefitting most, but were comparable across minoritised student subgroups. Conclusions: Mental health literacy delivered as an accredited undergraduate interdisciplinary course is highly acceptable and associated with improvement in psychological coping and positive effects on student mental health and well-being. Future research should focus on more diverse student samples, underlying mechanisms and sustained effects.
published_date 2026-03-01T06:30:16Z
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