HLTH1004 Well-Being Fundamentals for Success: Our learnings from the development and implementation of a theoretical and experiential well-being course for students.

Mental illness among Australian tertiary students is five times that of the general population (1). In the School of Health Sciences, staff observed an apparent increase in the number of students presenting with stress related issues which were significantly impacting their studies and personal life. In an attempt to address this issue, staff were eager to take a more proactive approach and educate students about the use of practical, evidence-based strategies proven to enhance personal well-being. Consequently, an academic course was developed which combined theoretical and experiential learning workshops and comprised three assessment tasks, including the development of an individual well-being plan. Community partners were engaged to assist in the course delivery, which has run for four semesters and is proving popular with students. Additionally, we have embedded a research project within the course to evaluate its efficacy in enhancing indicators of well-being. Briefly, well-being measures were self-assessed at weeks 1, 6 and 12 of semester using four mental well-being scales, specifically; 1) Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS); 2) Perceived Stress Scale (PSS); 3) Brief Resilience Scale (BRS); and 4) Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS). Post-semester student focus groups (N=4) were analysed for key themes related to completing the course. Findings revealed that significant improvements in three well-being measures were observed across semester (WEMWBS, PSS and BRS). Positively, students described the course as beneficial to their overall well-being, particularly in relation to experiencing and being encouraged to adopt simple and feasible evidence-based strategies proven to enhance well-being. Overall, this course is believed to have vast potential in reducing the burden of mental illness among university students, holding significant promise in tertiary education and public health. Keywords: Well-being; health; stress; resilience 1. Stallman H. Psychological distress in university students: A comparison with general population data. Australian Psychologist. 2010;45(4):249-57