THE CHALLENGE
Find a scalable solution to the student mental health crisis
In recent years, demand for student mental health support and counselling has soared. With suicide rates among students exceeding the national average, experts are urging universities to address what they see as a crisis for student wellbeing.
The need for more one-to-one support for some students is clear. However, for most students, empowering them with the knowledge and confidence to successfully manage their own health can make the difference between spiralling down or keeping afloat.
OUR SOLUTION
Using our content and behavioural expertise, Thrive developed Unihealth, an affordable, scalable and effective wellbeing programme. Delivered via an instant messaging service, the content focuses on early intervention and preventative support.
Here’s how we did it:
- Our research team identified the key challenges faced by students plus science-backed solutions.
- We created a programme of weekly messages to improve the student experience and support students through key transitions.
- We used behavioural science to improve the effectiveness of the messages.
- To create the right voice and tone, we worked with student focus groups to ensure Unihealth messages resonated with the target audience.
- Anonymised data generated by Unihealth helped universities optimise their health support.
THE RESULTS
Research among students using Unihealth demonstrated it helped:
- 84% to take care of their physical, emotional or mental wellbeing
- 81% to feel more supported at university
- 77% to feel confident about living independently
- 78% to stay on their university course
As one student said: “The messages helped me get through uni and positively motivated me to not give up.”