A 2020 research paper by Alyson Dodd et al. has called for a standardised measurement of wellbeing for university students.
This measurement will represent an holistic approach to student wellbeing that integrates subjective (individual) and objective (university-level) measures.
Distinctive Criteria
The authors stressed the importance of having wellbeing criteria for students that are completely different from the measurements used for the rest of the population. This is due to the “uniqueness of the student experience”.
The paper calls for a clear distinction between ‘wellbeing’ and ‘mental health’ and suggests the best way to measure student wellbeing will require detailed research into the core values of students in the modern age.
Standardised Measurements
By having a standardised and updated measurement of wellbeing for students, findings will be better able to identify trends and evaluate interventions.
With student wellbeing becoming increasingly vulnerable since the pandemic began, the importance of having a standardised measure has reached an unprecedented level.
This paper explains, in-depth, the issues in having varied definitions of ‘student wellbeing’, and outlines the potential benefits of having standardised measurements in this field of research.
To read the full paper visit: University student well-being in the United Kingdom: a scoping review of its conceptualisation and measurement: Journal of Mental Health: Vol 0, No 0 (tandfonline.com)
Photo by Keira Burton from Pexels
