Wellbeing in Higher Education

Abstract

Abstract On average, the wellbeing of higher education (HE) students is low. Given the importance of HE to national economies and cultures, institutes of HE (IHE) are increasingly implementing strategies to improve wellbeing. Additionally, international organisations are repositioning the scope of HE initiatives beyond subjective wellbeing to considerations of community, society, and the natural environment. For example, the Okanagan Charter implores IHE to transform the wellbeing of people, places, and the planet. This chapter reviews evidence- and practice-based HE wellbeing strategies under this organisational structure of person-, place-, and planet-level approaches. Presently, the strongest evidence is for person-level interventions and is tied to student services, psychoeducation, and health promotion. Place-level strategies are commonly practiced and robustly supported by IHE but lack mature empirical support. Planet-level approaches are only emerging and require greater policy support to gain traction. Overall, additional research is required to build understanding across all levels of knowledge and practice.