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15 November 2022

Uni success is about more than study – you also need to feel happy and healthy

Did you know that students who develop mental ill-health are more likely to leave their course early? This can affect future career prospects, and lead to longer term mental and physical health issues. Almost half of all students who considered leaving their studies in 2019 cited health or stress reasons.

You’ve come to Deakin to turn your career dream into a reality, and we’ll do everything we can to help you succeed in your desired field. We’ve got a wonderful team of teachers and a range of first-class study support to help you every step of the way.

But students succeed best in their studies when they feel happy, supported and healthy. As a member of the Deakin family, our commitment to you extends beyond books, assignments, labs, exams or grades. We want to help you look after yourself – now and in the future – by nurturing and promoting your personal health and wellbeing.

This will enable you to not only reach your academic or career potential, but also help you to enjoy your university experience and become more resilient, confident and joyful along the way.

You’re more than a student to us

Underpinning this commitment is our Student Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2023–25, which Vice-Chancellor Professor Iain Martin says sets the standard for your experience as a Deakin student:

Positive mental health and wellbeing gives students the resilience and motivation to engage effectively in complex learning tasks, manage difficult stressors, respond to challenges and make the most of the opportunities their course provides.
We’re committed to improving student mental health through prevention, response and continuous improvement. The increased prevalence of mental health concerns, and the stresses associated with COVID-19, shine a spotlight on the importance of this strategy.

What this means for you

We know that many of you are finding uni very or extremely stressful, with the main issues being academic workload and expectations, and life balance.

So, we’re addressing three main areas of mental health – prevention, response and continuous improvement. As part of this focus we will:

We’ve reviewed, enhanced and implemented several programs, policies and events that focus on student mental health and wellbeing. Some examples include:

We’re here to help

We offer a range of student health and wellbeing services, from medical and counselling services to disability support. Please reach out for support if needed.

We welcome questions, suggestions or feedback about the Student Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2023–25 – just email [email protected].



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