The Nurture-U survey, open to all students this autumn, is an online survey aiming to improve the ways in which universities support students with their wellbeing and mental health. By taking part in the project, not only will you make a difference to student life going forward, but you will also be entered into a prize draw to win one of five £100 Love2Shop vouchers.
The survey
Part of a wider research project run across six UK universities, the Southampton Nurture-U survey is conducted by researchers within the Department of Psychiatry. It has been designed to gather information about student mental health and wellbeing at various points of the university experience, which will then inform the development and improvement of support services.
Participation consists of two survey questionnaires per academic year throughout your studies. The frequency of the surveys is to give researchers an idea of how your wellbeing and mental health change in time, as well as when and why this might happen. Each survey will take approximately 15-20 minutes to complete.
Previous results
The Nurture-U survey was first introduced in the 2022/23 academic year. The results from the survey last autumn 2022 show that while most students would currently rate their mental health as good, very good, or average, 45% of the students surveyed have a past or present mental health or learning disability diagnosis, with 27% of these students having received a diagnosis of anxiety. Half of the students surveyed also self-reported having had moderate to severe anxiety, depression, or sleep disorders (with some of them having more than one of these).
These results highlight the utmost importance of mental health conversations and support services in a university setting, while also illustrating how this study and the information it collects can help going forward.
Deadline
Take part in the first survey this academic year and sign up for the follow-up surveys by Tuesday 31 October 2023. Participating in each survey round means you will be entered into the prize draw.
Find out more about and complete the autumn Nurture-U survey via SharePoint.