MUTSPRUNG

The subproject 'Prerequisites and recommendations for health-promoting study and doctoral conditions' of the joint MUTSPRUNG project is implemented at Bochum University of Applied Sciences. It addresses the question of the structural conditions necessary for healthy study and doctoral programmes. The aim is to develop evidence-based recommendations for promoting healthy study and doctoral conditions. The subproject addresses this issue in several stages: First, a rapid review will systematically record the international evidence on health-promoting framework conditions in the university and doctoral context. Building on this, a theory-based, multi-year monitoring programme will be developed and implemented at the participating universities and doctoral institutions.

This analysis examines the individual and structural factors that influence the mental health of students and doctoral candidates. Qualitative methods, such as focus groups and workshops, are used to analyse risk and protective factors in a differentiated manner. These findings are then incorporated into a multi-stage Delphi process to develop consensus-based, practical recommendations for universities, policy and practice. The results also form the basis for a cross-university guideline for the systematic promotion of university health and a core dataset on the mental health of students and doctoral candidates.

Subproject 2 (SP 2) at FH Münster examines existing psychological distress and mental health problems among students and doctoral researchers, as well as associated individual risk and resilience factors. The analysis takes into account sociodemographic characteristics and psychological constructs that have thus far received limited attention in the German higher education context, particularly loneliness and mental health literacy.

Initially, a systematic review will be conducted in collaboration with Subproject 1 to identify protective and risk factors for mental health, as well as interventions designed to promote it. In addition, a secondary data analysis will be conducted on individual factors influencing mental health problems and potential study dropouts, based on data from the Techniker Krankenkasse health insurance fund and the annual monitoring of student health management at Bochum University of Applied Sciences, which has been conducted since 2021. Building on these findings, a dedicated repeated cross-sectional monitoring study will be implemented to prospectively examine identified risk and protective factors, with a specific focus on loneliness experiences. This focus is motivated by empirical evidence identifying loneliness and rumination as relevant risk factors for students’ mental health that have so far been insufficiently addressed in targeted health promotion measures within higher education. In addition, mental health literacy will be systematically analysed as a potential protective factor.

The subproject examines transitional and developmental phases of students and doctoral candidates with regard to their mental health. It is based on the assumption that transitions and disruptions within the course of study – such as entering higher education, transitions between study phases, or final stages – can be associated with increased psychosocial stress. At the same time, these transitions can be understood as educational-biographical and life-course turning points. However, the ways in which individuals navigate these phases have so far not been sufficiently differentiated in research.

The aim of the project is to empirically identify and explore potentially vulnerable phases within the student life cycle and to analyze their significance for mental well-being. Based on a qualitative and longitudinal research design that combines individual interviews and focus groups with an autoethnographic digital diary approach, the experiences of students and doctoral candidates are collected at different points in time and reconstructed using Grounded Theory. Both individual conditions and coping strategies, as well as the role of institutional structures within higher education, are taken into account. A particular focus is placed on the role and meanings of media in shaping and regulating mental health and well-being in everyday academic life. The subproject thus adopts a media pedagogical perspective and considers the conditions of profound mediatization.

Finally, the findings contribute to a deeper understanding of phase-specific stressors and resources within the student life cycle and provide starting points for the (further) development of support and empowerment strategies. The overall aim is to contribute to the health-promoting design of higher education institutions.

The aim of this subproject is to identify psychological barriers to participation in higher education. Particular attention will be paid to potential barriers related to assessment requirements and the digitalization of study programs, as well as to social relationships and so-called behavior settings, understood as systems of sociocultural interaction. Subproject 4 will focus specifically on first-generation students, students with a migration background—especially those with experiences of forced migration—and students with (particularly mental) impairments.

As a first step, an inventory analysis will be conducted to map existing measures and services aimed at improving students’ mental health at higher education institutions. To assess the extent to which psychological barriers restrict participation in higher education, the MUTSPRUNG monitoring will be utilized across three waves of data collection. A key focus will be the quantitative assessment of social anxiety and depressive symptoms, as well as their impact on learning settings within higher education. In addition, the study will examine the role of coping strategies and support services, as well as psychological stress related to migration and/or illness and impairments.