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Student mental wellbeing as an interconnected system: positioning academic, social, and coping processes
Sybren Slimmen1,2, Olaf Timmermans2,3, Lilian Lechner1
1Department of Health Psychology, Open University, Mailbox 2960, 6401 DL, Heerlen, the Netherlands.
SSM - Population Health
|June 26, 2026
Summary
Student mental wellbeing is interconnected with academic and social factors. Network analysis revealed that while direct links to wellbeing were modest, social support played a central role, showing stability over the academic year.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Higher Education Studies
- Public Health
Background:
- Student mental wellbeing is a growing concern in higher education.
- Academic stressors, social factors, and coping styles are known influences.
- Understanding the interconnections within a broader system is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the interconnectedness of factors influencing student mental wellbeing.
- To investigate these connections cross-sectionally and longitudinally.
- To apply a network approach to understand the student mental health system.
Main Methods:
- Survey data collected from 497 students at T1 and 207 at T2.
- Gaussian Graphical Model for cross-sectional network analysis.
- LASSO regression for longitudinal associations.
Main Results:
- Cross-sectional networks showed modest associations, mainly between related variables.
- Mental wellbeing and social support had high centrality in the network.
- Longitudinal analyses revealed stability, with variables primarily related to their past levels.
Conclusions:
- Student mental wellbeing is embedded in a stable system of experiences.
- Network approaches offer insights but have limitations with weak conditional associations.
- Further research needed on complex socio-ecological processes affecting student mental health.
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