Between balancing coursework, part-time jobs and the transition to adulthood, today’s students are increasingly vulnerable to mental health challenges.
Studies show Australian university students are experiencing moderate to severe psychological distress, with 93.6% reporting moderate to high levels of loneliness.
Western Sydney University Wellbeing and Mental Health Specialist, Caitlin Marshall, says while financial hardship remains one of the top reasons students disengage from their studies, there’s another major factor at play.
‘Social connection and belonging is intrinsic to wellbeing’, Marshall explains. ‘Students that start university and connect with a club… we know that’s a protective factor to help keep them studying, keep them staying at university and be able to flourish’.
Like many Australian universities, Western’s Wellbeing and Mental Health Team grounds its work in the Orygen Institute’s University Mental Health Framework. This framework focuses on creating inclusive learning environments, encouraging participation, responding to mental health needs in a timely way and designing strategies informed by students’ lived experiences.
WesternLife is the University’s online social interaction platform, aiming to connect students to a wide range of clubs, events and social activities across all 13 campuses.
Joyzender Jap is a Western student and president of the Allegiance of Social Gamers (ASG). For Jap, the best part about being involved in a student club is having the opportunity to meet people from different backgrounds.
However, Jap says accessibility is an issue with on campus clubs.
‘It’s hard because most student clubs are in Parramatta South campus… my home campus is in Kingswood and it’s pretty dry except for the Bible ministries’.
The gap in student clubs and activities on campus is an issue that the Wellbeing and Mental Health Team are aiming to address. Marshall says they are hosting more events across different campuses in the hopes students will engage in their communities.
Nkosi Lessey is a curriculum convenor for Western’s School of Psychology. Lessey says an important part of joining a student club is that it can allow students to interact with diverse groups and develop life-long skills along with a sense of connectedness.
‘The community project at large needs to be nurtured and one way to do that is through clubs’, he says. ‘You’ve got to deal with other people. Some people look after you, some people are like you and some people are not. You need to deal with all the different assets again and you learn how to do that when you’ve got more contact, more people, more groups’.
Lidya Rivai is a Western student, Book Club president, and assists the University’s student clubs team. Her experience reflects Mr. Lessey’s insight.
‘I feel like it has allowed me to develop professionally to work with people in my career as an executive, as I’ve learned how to run meetings or approach conflict resolution’, says Rivai. ‘It has been such a formative experience’.
Whether it’s conversations with peers, joining a club, or attending a campus event, small steps toward community can have lasting impacts.
Students who are looking to get involved can visit the Western’s Mental Health and Wellbeing page and WesternLife.
