Student insights on improving mental health and wellbeing communication at universities

The rising prevalence of mental health issues among university students has prompted institutions to prioritise mental health and wellbeing (MHWB) support, with predictive analytic systems using nudge-based interventions increasingly used to identify and target interventions. Despite nudges' potential for behaviour change, little guidance exists on engaging students through data-driven communication. This qualitative study explored students’ perceptions of university MHWB communication, focusing on data-driven nudge emails. Two blocks of focus groups were conducted with 16 students at a UK university. Reflexive thematic analysis generated four themes: (1) Improve MHWB support access and provision, (2) Demonstrate commitment to inclusive, tailored support, (3) Accessible, concise, and engaging information and resources, and (4) Consistent, integrated, and visible MHWB promotion. Findings informed the development of six guiding principles to optimise data-driven MHWB messaging. The study concludes that setting-based MHWB approaches require effective communication and service provision, which can be enhanced by predictive analytics.