Some 96% of UK students think adding emotional education to the university curriculum could help solve the student mental health crisis, according to new research from emotional fitness app Fika.
97% of students said they would benefit from formal emotional education lessons at university, with 65% feeling it could protect them from mental illness, and 52% agreeing it would help them understand how to look after themselves and each other.
77% of the students Fika surveyed said they had struggled with the transition into university, and 60% said they had received no advice or support on how to manage this transition.
Graduate employers also support the measures
Fika also surveyed graduate employers, a staggering 99% of whom said receiving emotional education at university would vastly improve students’ chances of employment and career success.
“If students are crying out to be further developed emotionally and socially, it’s absolutely [universities’] duty to respond accordingly,” commented Jason Sinclair, Director of Employability at The University of Buckingham.
“Who better to take the helm and rewrite the lives of future generations than the universities of today?” commented Nick Bennett, CEO & Co-Founder at Fika. “We are already working with institutions across the sector to create solutions – from our digital solution, to discussions about the future of the curriculum – and invite all universities to join us in our mission.”
What is Fika?
The Fika app provides students with science-backed five-minute emotional workouts, building their confidence, resilience, focus, self-motivation and empathy. The app is designed by specialists to safeguard students’ mental health, relationships, employability and careers.
Students using Fika have reported increased positivity (83%), reduced anxiety & stress (81%), improved ability to handle challenges (82%), increased motivation (81%) and increased confidence (79%).
Learn more about Fika, including insight from CEO Nick Bennett and several of Fika’s university partners, from their GSL Conference 2019 talk here. You can also read Nick’s piece on the Forbes website here.
