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Abstract
Objective: This study evaluates the impact of the State of Mind Ireland-Higher Education (SOMI-HE) Mental Fitness intervention on student wellbeing, resilience, and physical activity (PA) participation. Design: A mixed-methods research design, comprising of a self-report questionnaire, and semi-structured focus group interviews at pre, post and follow-up phases were employed. Participants were a sample of 134 higher education students (29% male: 71% female; mean age range 18 to 25 years old). The quantitative outcome measures of wellbeing, resilience and PA data were analysed using SPSS version 26.0, (IBM, Armonk, NY, USA) with appropriate statistical analysis. Qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis to capture the long-term outcomes and impact of the intervention. Results: The results indicate a significant intervention effect on participants’ wellbeing (t (120) = −4.27, p < 0.001), PA levels (t (126) = 3.91, p < 0.001) and motivational readiness for exercise change (χ2 (1, n = 131) = 6.9, p < 0.009 (2–sided). Qualitative findings suggest a sustained long-term increase in PA and resilience skills for positive mental health, and reduced stigma and barriers to positive mental health. Conclusion: The findings demonstrate the effectiveness of the SOMI-HE evidence-based intervention, and beneficial outcomes of a salutary approach to higher education student mental health.
Highlights
Despite the rising mental health problems among students attending higher-level education in Ireland and abroad, young people remain a neglected population and are substantially overlooked from both a risk prevention and health promotion point of view [1,2,3,4]
This study makes an important contribution to positive mental health promotion programme planning and implementation research
The planning process known as intervention mapping, as described in O’ Brien et al, (2020) [55], resulted in a novel and extensive mental fitness promotion intervention, that seeks to decrease stigma, increase wellbeing, peer connection, resilience skills, mental health literacy, physical activity (PA) levels and motivational readiness for PA change
Summary
Despite the rising mental health problems among students attending higher-level education in Ireland and abroad, young people remain a neglected population and are substantially overlooked from both a risk prevention and health promotion point of view [1,2,3,4]. The years of attending higher education are a critical time to create a culture of positive mental health through intervening and preventing further consequences related to mental health problems [9]. Positive mental health is seen as fundamental to human development, and to coping with adversity [11]. It is a science emphasising wellbeing indicators that assist individuals to feel and function well [12].
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