Bridging Awareness and Action: Ireland’s Path Toward Mentally Healthy Universities Through the MINDGUARD Project

Ireland’s higher education institutions (HEIs) have made notable strides in promoting mental health awareness, yet challenges persist in ensuring equitable and accessible support for all students and staff. As part of the MINDGUARD Erasmus+ initiative, University College Dublin (UCD) conducted an in-depth national study to explore the landscape of mental health in academic settings across Ireland. The findings offer valuable insight into existing gaps, emerging best practices, and stakeholder-driven recommendations to inform the development of MINDGUARD’s participatory mental health framework.

The national research employed a mixed-method approach, including a scoping literature review, an interactive focus group, and a comprehensive survey. These methods highlighted widespread concern around mental health in HEIs—especially post-COVID-19—paired with a strong appetite for structured and inclusive interventions such as Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training, digital tools, and immersive learning environments.

The focus group brought together staff and students from UCD, DCU, and TUD, generating key thematic insights:

· Awareness is growing, but access remains uneven, especially for academic staff.

· Stigma and silence continue to prevent help-seeking behaviour.

· MHFA training is needed—both students and staff feel unprepared to respond effectively to mental health issues.

· Digital tools such as VR are widely welcomed as engaging, scalable platforms for building empathy and practical skills.

The national survey echoed these themes, revealing that only 12% of respondents had received formal MHFA training, while over 90% expressed interest in receiving such support. Students and staff highlighted the importance of developing active listening, distress recognition, and digital literacy skills, alongside embedding mental health discussions into curricula and staff training. UCD’s report also spotlights Irish best practices, including:

· Peer mentoring at scale (TCD Student2Student)

· Curriculum-integrated MHFA (RCSI)

· Digital CBT platforms like SilverCloud and Togetherall

· VR-based Erasmus+ pilots for immersive mental health training

Despite these examples, implementation remains fragmented. Stakeholders call for systemic coordination, clearer service visibility, and institutional leadership to champion mental health from policy to practice.

The next steps in the MINDGUARD project will build on these insights by co-designing a VR training toolkit and educator guide, empowering HEIs to embed prevention and support into daily academic life. MINDGUARD’s mission is to move beyond awareness—to normalise mental health conversations, scale training, and create safe learning environments through participatory and digital tools.