Student driven mental health promotion in an Australian university setting

The purpose of this study was to investigate university students׳ perceptions of mental health problems, through an exploration of proposed health promotion interventions. An action research approach was undertaken to inform the health promotion interventions of the MindWise study. A qualitative thematic analysis of focus group data was undertaken. Three themes were abstracted from the data: the importance of (i) harm minimisation messaging, (ii) emphasising early intervention and acknowledging the impact of untreated mental health problems, (iii) addressing stigma and concerns about confidentiality. Student involvement is a cost-effective way to increase the acceptability of health promotion initiatives by other students.