UNIFY

UNIFY-HoF coordinates the UNIFY collaborative project and is responsible for analyzing structural conditions at universities. The focus is on how university culture and organization influence students’ mental health. To this end, documents, mission statements, and processes at the participating universities are systematically evaluated, and discrepancies between officially communicated offerings and actual practices are identified. In addition, existing datasets on mental health are harmonized, and vulnerable student groups are identified. The results are incorporated into a transferable framework concept for a health-promoting university culture (GHK). UNIFY-HoF also facilitates the transfer of knowledge into university practice – through co-creation workshops, an advisory board, and ongoing dialogue with university administrations, student representatives, and other stakeholders. The long-term goal is to establish action-oriented structures that extend beyond the participating institutions.

As part of the UNIFY consortium project, UNIFY-Leipzig is responsible for the comprehensive collection and analysis of data on students’ mental health. Building on the existing longitudinal research project “enhance”, quantitative surveys will be expanded to additional university locations and will include both students and faculty. The goal is to obtain a nuanced picture of individual stressors and resilience mechanisms, particularly among vulnerable groups. In parallel, a digital platform is planned to be developed that provides universities with a powerful monitoring tool for data-driven decision-making—from early risk detection to strategic service planning. The existing online service “enhance” will be further developed in a targeted manner and supplemented with target-group-specific content, implementing it as a low-threshold support service for students with mental health issues.

UNIFY-Jena is responsible for developing and implementing measures to foster a health-promoting university culture. Building on the findings of data and structural analyses, evidence-based interventions tailored to specific target groups are developed and piloted under real-world conditions. These include mentoring programs, flexible deadline policies for students with caregiving responsibilities or health limitations, and the further development of the online service “REALISE” into an accessible, university-wide counseling service. A specially developed training concept raises awareness among faculty and university stakeholders regarding mental health challenges and provides practical solutions. The measures are evaluated iteratively and compiled into a scientifically grounded best-practice catalog that can be transferred to other universities. In addition, the successful podcast series “Kopfkompass” contributes to the broad dissemination of the project’s results.