The Student Mental Health and Wellbeing Conference 2025: Supporting a Diverse Range of Student Needs
Present Supporters Include:
Overview:
There are growing pressures on university students as the sector undergoes major changes and graduates enter an uncertain world. Student support services are showing an increasing awareness of the diverse needs and perspectives of student populations, making sure they accommodate international perspectives, the specific circumstances of mature students, and marginalised communities. Professionals from across student support services must come together to share best practice and key strategies to improve mental health provisions in higher education settings.
Agenda
Registration
Chair’s Opening Remarks
Dr Alana James, Associate Professor in the School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading (CONFIRMED)
Keynote: Providing effective mental health support within universities
- Guidance on ensuring that students are aware of the mental health services available to them and encouraging them to seek support
- Implementing mental health training for staff and faculty to help them recognise early signs of mental distress and provide appropriate support or referrals
- Offering flexible support including online counselling and walk in support services to accommodate all students
- Strategies for supporting students with pre-existing mental health issues from day one
Niamh Nicholson, Programme Development Manager, Student Minds (CONFIRMED)
Questions & Answers
Comfort Break
Case Study: Mindfulness, Acceptance and Commitment training to promote students’ mental health and well-being in challenging contexts – towards a Process-based approach for precision interventions
- The deteriorating status of mental health among students
- Stress as a transdiagnostic risk and maintenance factor of mental ill-health
- Learning outcomes from existing efforts to execute stress-reduction interventions globally: Mindfulness, acceptance and commitment trainings to improve school mental health
- Towards a process-based approach for precision interventions
Karoly Schlosser, Teaching Fellow in Mindfulness, King’s College London (CONFIRMED)
Case Study: Collaborative Approaches to Preventing Student Suicide
- Developing comprehensive safeguarding plans that use attendance data to monitor students’ well-being
- Using a strategic joined-up to suicide prevention which involves the welfare team, wider community, local settings and those with lived experience of suffering with mental health at university
- Creating effective partnerships with local councils and the NHS for when university support is not enough
- Using an evidence-based approach which frequently evaluates mental health services to understand what is working and what needs to be improved
Dr Emma Roberts, Head of Law, University of Salford (CONFIRMED)
Questions & Answers
Lunch Break
Keynote: The Cost-of-Living Crisis: The Impact of Financial Pressure on Student Mental Health
- Guidance on providing effective bursaries and financial support packages which account for the impact of the cost-of-living crisis
- Supporting students to find part-time work and/or balance academic studies with part-time work
- Implementing financial education workshops to help students manage their finances and make informed decisions regarding budgeting, saving, and spending
- Providing mental health support services that address and provide strategies to cope with financial stress
Chloe Lockett, Advice & Support Manager, Students’ Union at Bournemouth University (CONFIRMED)
Case Study: Neurodiversity and Mental Health Labelling
- Outlining recent concerns about overdiagnosis
- Insights from social science research on where labelling is helpful or unhelpful on campus
- Insights from practice on recognising distress without pathologising students’ experience – supporting the person, rather than treating the problem
- Identifying local and institutional factors that may affect the extent and utility of labelling
Dr Kitty Wheater, Mindfulness Chaplain, University of Edinburgh (CONFIRMED)
Questions & Answers
Breakout Networking: Sharing Knowledge Across Institutions
This session will provide you with the opportunity to discuss the biggest issues facing students, strategies for supporting student’s mental health and the most up to date mental health policies from higher education institutions. We encourage you to take this time to network with colleagues and share your experiences.
Comfort Break
Case Study: Mental Health and Academic Assessments
- Understanding the practical relationship between student (and staff!) mental health and assessment
- Asking what does assessment look like if we design it with mental health in mind?
- Outlining the relationship between gen AI, transition to university and assessment overload—and how they all impact upon the ability of our students to thrive at university
- Strategies to implement in the class room to improve mental health surrounding assessments
Professor Bonnie Latimer, Associate Dean Education, Member of the Advancing Assessment Team, University of Southampton (CONFIRMED)
Daniel Hobson, Principal Teaching Fellow, Member of the Advancing Assessment Team, University of Southampton (CONFIRMED)
Dr Chris Lewis, Principal Teaching Fellow, Member of the Advancing Assessment Team, University of Southampton (CONFIRMED)
Dr Adriana Patino, Associate Professor, Member of the Advancing Assessment Team, University of Southampton (CONFIRMED)
Keynote: Breaking Stigmas and Encouraging Mental Health Engagement
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Exploring the root challenges and causes for mental health stigmas in university
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Strategies for creating successful mental health awareness campaigns across campuses
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Encouraging faculty to incorporate mental health support sessions and provisions into lectures and seminars
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Creating positive open spaces for students to share experiences and strategies
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Using social media platforms and university websites to share supportive messaging that challenges norms and stigmas regarding mental health
Andy Smith, Director of Wellbeing and Safeguarding, University of Warwick (CONFIRMED)
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Questions and Answers
Chair’s Closing Remarks
Dr Alana James, Associate Professor in the School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading (CONFIRMED)
Conference Close
Get in Touch
Present Speakers
Dr Alana James
Associate Professor in the School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences
University of Reading
Emma Roberts
Head of Law
University of Salford
Karoly Schlosser
Teaching Fellow in Mindfulness
King's College London
Chloe Lockett
Advice & Support Manager
Students’ Union at Bournemouth University
Dr Kitty Wheater
Mindfulness Chaplain
University of Edinburgh
Testimonials
The Student Mental Health & Wellbeing Conference provided so many rich ideas and points to consider in relation to how we build a whole university approach to student wellbeing.
This was an amazing event with lots of relevant information and ‘food for thought’!
Really informative session by excellent speakers who are clearly very knowledgeable and passionate about supporting student mental health in HE.
Attending the Student Mental Health and Wellbeing Conference was an incredibly valuable experience. The sessions were insightful, the speakers knowledgeable, and the networking opportunities excellent. I left with a wealth of new strategies and ideas to implement in my work. Highly recommended!
Why You Should Attend?
Why Attend:
✓ High-level keynotes on the latest initiatives and policies to improve student mental health services from leading experts
✓ Case studies showcasing best practice in whole-university approaches, creating inclusive counselling services, and collaborating with external partners
✓ Networking with senior colleagues from across the student services and wellbeing sector
✓ Gain 8 hours of CPD points towards your yearly quota
Who Should Attend?
| Job Title Examples | Organisation Examples |
| Lecturers | Universities |
| HR Professionals | Colleges |
| Wellbeing Officers | Higher Education Institutions |
| Career Advisors | Charities |
| Senior University Staff | Civil Service/Government |
| Student Union Staff | |
| Admissions Staff | |
| Education Policy Professionals |
Pricing Options
PUBLIC SECTOR
Your delegate place at this leading conference gives you: Full access to the conference; E-guide; Networking opportunities during the day; Access to presentations post conference; 8 CPD Points.
Voluntary Sector
Your delegate place at this leading conference gives you: Full access to the conference; E-guide; Networking opportunities during the day; Access to presentations post conference; 8 CPD Points.
PRIVATE SECTOR
Your delegate place at this leading conference gives you: Full access to the conference; E-guide; Networking opportunities during the day; Access to presentations post conference; 8 CPD Points.
Sponsorship
Raise your Profile, Showcase Your Solutions, Generate New Business
If your products, services, and solutions can support our audiences in their roles, and you want to make connections and generate new business with key stakeholders, decision makers, and influencers, then please contact us using the enquiry form below.
IMPORTANT: There are only a small number of sponsorship opportunities available to ensure maximum exposure and ROI – contact us today to secure your place.
Virtual vs F2F
Whilst F2F provide better options for networking, there are many distinct advantages of sponsoring our online conferences including:
- Wider geographical reach of delegates and a different audience who prefer online to f2f
- Lower sponsorship package costs
- No travel/accommodation
- Less time out of the office
- No stand materials required (lower costs)
- 1 of only 2 sponsors involved – less competition on the day
- Prime speaking slot in the morning of the conference including Q&A – less distractions and easier for delegates to hear/absorb information
- Receive all delegate data after the conference to follow-up directly with those who attend and don’t attend (small % but still key stakeholders)
- Ongoing exposure via OnDemand access (coming soon)
To find out more and discuss your specific objectives, please contact us below:
