Students’ Perspectives on Mental Health: Using World Cafés to Engage in Dialogue about Health Promotion and Support Services - read online free

Oct 15, 2026

The document examines rising poor mental health among postsecondary students and argues for campus health promotion strategies. It uses the World Café approach to structure group discussions across three themes: interpretations of findings from a recent health survey, campus resources currently available, and needed strategies or resources to improve student well-being. Participant recommendations emphasize building a university culture of well-being, expanding professional support services, and strengthening health promotion, concluding that the approach effectively engages students and supports dialogue on sustainable improvements.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages10

Reading Time25 min

AccessFree to download

Background and Rationale

Mental health concerns for postsecondary students

Health promotion and national strategies

Student Engagement on Health Issues

Student leadership and protective effects

Challenges engaging students

World Café Approach

Method purpose and structure

Students’ Perspectives on Mental Health: Using World Cafés to Engage in Dialogue about Health Promotion and Support Services Danielle de Moissac, Candice M. Waddell, Nadine Smith, Rhéa Rocque Université de Saint-Boniface & Brandon University With the increased incidence ofpoor mental health in young adults, health promotion strategies are needed on campuses. World Cafés were held to facilitate discussion around three main topics: thoughts about findings emergingfrom a recent health survey, resources currently available on campus, and strategies or resources needed to improve student well-being. Participants readily provided insight into mental health concerns among students, and their recommendations focused primarily on creating a culture of well-being in the university with more professional support services and greater health promotion. Overall, the World Café approach provided an effective method to engage students and discuss possible strategies to promote better mental health on campus. Étant donné l’augmentation des problèmes de santé mentale chez lesjeunes adultes, ilfaut adopter des stratégies de promotion de la santé à l’université. Des conversations de type Café du monde – World Café– ont eu lieu autour de trois sujets : 1) des réflexions autour des résultats provenant d’un sondage récent pourtant sur lasanté; 2) les ressources qui sont actuellement offertes à l’université; 3) les stratégies et les ressources nécessaires à l’amélioration du bien- être des étudiants. Les participants n’ont pas hésité à témoigner des enjeux de santé mentale dans la communauté étudiante. Leurs recommandations ont convergé principalement vers la création d’une culture du bien- être à l’université, ce qui suppose un accroissement des services d’aide professionnelle et dela promotion de la santé. Dans l’ensemble, la méthode de type Café du monde a permis defaire participer les étudiants et de discuter des stratégies potentielles pour la promotion de la santé mentale à l’université. Health promotion is public health and one of the main pillars inis becoming increasingly important in higher education settings, particularly pertaining to mental health, harm reduction, and cannabis use in the young adult population (Canadian Public Health Association, 2018) . Why are postsecondary students of particular concern? Studies have shown that during the transitional period into adulthood, traumatic events or daily stressors such asan unfavorable environment, academic demands, and the quest for employment and financial autonomy may have an impact on psychological health and adaptability to change (Nelson & Padilla-Walker, 2013; Ruberman, 2014) . Poor academic performance (Owens et al., 2012; Ruthig et al, 2011) and psychosocial functioning (Dawson & Pooley, 2013; Farrell & Langrehr, 2017) may lead to long-term negative outcomes (Poon & Knight, 2013) . Young adults are therefore identified as a vulnerable segment of the population. National organisations, including the Canadian Association of College & University Student Services, the Centre for Innovation in Campus Mental Health, and the Mental Health Commission of Canada, recognize the critical role that postsecondary institutions play in promoting well-being and harm reduction as well as improving access to resources and support services for young adults. The Mental Health Strategy for Canada: A Youth Perspective (Mental Health Commission of Canada, 2013) suggests that strategies promoting mental health, treatment, and prevention of mental health issues are more likely to be successful when target populations are identified, protective factors are strengthened and risk factors reduced, goals are set, communities are provided with adequate resources to take action, and long-term planning has been considered. This research project is based on this approach. Our long-term goal is to promote the wellbeing of student bodies by promoting student engagement in the development of sustaina

FAQs

Why does the document emphasize health promotion for postsecondary students?

It links increased poor mental health among young adults to the need for campus-based health promotion strategies that improve well-being and access to support services.

What topics guided the World Café discussions?

The discussions covered three areas: reflections on findings from a recent health survey, available campus resources, and strategies/resources needed to improve student well-being.

What recommendations did participants focus on?

Participants focused on creating a campus culture of well-being, increasing professional support services, and strengthening health promotion efforts.

Oct 15, 2026

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