MindGuard Erasmus+ initiative: Promoting mental health literacy in Higher Education

Around 9 million young people in Europe live with mental health disorders (UNICEF, 2021), and in countries such as the Netherlands, Ireland, Cyprus, and Greece, more than 40% of university students face mental health challenges (Sanders, 2023; OECD, 2022). These figures show a concerning reality and highlight the urgent need to take action within higher education environments.

European institutions, including the European Commission, are fully aware of this situation. In the 2022 State of the Union speech, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced “a new initiative on mental health,” reinforcing the need for a comprehensive, prevention-oriented, and multi-stakeholder approach. This strategy acknowledges that improving mental wellbeing requires coordinated efforts across different policy areas. For instance, urban planning, research, and, especially, education.

In line with this vision, the European Union is supporting several initiatives in the field of education through Erasmus+ projects. One of them is “Participatory and digitally empowered mental health prevention framework for academic settings” (MindGuard), which brings together a consortium composed of the University of Groningen, University College Dublin, University of Nicosia, CARDET360, the Institute of Development, and All Digital. The objective of this collaboration is to improve the knowledge and skills of university students, faculty, and staff so they can better support their own mental wellbeing and that of their peers. In this way, the project hopes to build a more inclusive academic culture, where mental health is acknowledged, respected, and supported.

To reach this goal, the consortium has organised the work into several steps. First, we are conducting an in-depth review of the existing literature to better understand the current situation across Europe. This includes identifying existing policies, frameworks, and guidelines for mental health first aid (MHFA) in higher education institutions at national levels; examining the main challenges and barriers to implementing mental health education and first aid training in academic contexts; and analysing what gaps exist in terms of knowledge, skills, and confidence among students and staff. It also involves identifying successful practices and models from across the EU that can be used as examples for future action. This research will allow us to develop a set of practical guidelines and resources to help institutions adopt preventative measures, implement virtual reality training, coordinate MHFA programmes more effectively, and promote mental wellbeing through digital skills that make the training adaptable to their own contexts.

Once these guidelines are ready, the next step is to create a series of interactive and blended learning modules enriched with virtual reality. These modules will be designed to help students and academic staff understand and address common mental health challenges in higher education. The idea is to offer engaging and practical content that supports capacity building in mental health support, using digital tools that are accessible and user-friendly. In parallel, we will also be working on the development of a virtual reality platform that will host the training content. This platform will be tailored to the specific mental health and wellbeing needs of students, faculty, and staff, making it possible for them to access the modules, monitor their progress, and receive feedback. By combining educational content with an interactive and digital environment, we aim to make mental health training more engaging and relevant for the academic community.

Finally, we believe that the results of this project should go beyond the university walls. For that reason, we will also focus on public engagement. The project team will organise different activities such as science cafés, local events, newsletters, and social media campaigns to raise awareness about mental health in higher education and share what we are learning through the project. With all these efforts, we hope to make a small but meaningful contribution to improving mental health support in academic environments.

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