With approximately 254 million students enrolled in post-secondary education globally, this population represents a significant portion of young adults navigating a critical developmental period. Many of these students face unique academic, social, and financial challenges that can negatively impact their well-being. In response to the rising concerns of student mental health, the Global Student Mental Health Research Network was founded in 2021. Composed of students, staff and faculty from institutions around the world, the network aims to build collaborations, identify opportunities for research partnerships, and to share best practices in student mental health research. This commentary aims to highlight pathways for post-secondary students to take leadership roles in student mental health research, supporting the development of the next generation of researchers in this field. In June 2023, members of the Global Student Mental Health Research Network gathered in-person for a three-day conference. A primary goal of the conference was to develop recommendations to increase pathways for students to lead post-secondary mental health research. Using the World Café method, participants identified 15 recommendations, organized into four themes: Communication, Increasing Awareness, Supporting Professional Development, and Reducing Barriers. Recommendations emphasize establishing shared values among students, staff, and faculty, and the importance of institutional investment in resources and opportunities. These steps aim to cultivate emerging student researchers who will advance the field and contribute to addressing the pressing issue of post-secondary student mental health. With around 254 million people enrolled in post-secondary education around the world, students make up a large group of young adults going through an important stage of life. Many of them face challenges, like school stress and social pressures, that can lead to increased stress and lower well-being. In response to the growing concerns about student mental health, the Global Student Mental Health Research Network was founded in 2021. Composed of students, staff and faculty from institutions around the world, the network aims to facilitate research partnerships and develop best practices to support student mental health research. This commentary highlights ways to increase opportunities for students to take leadership roles in mental health research, helping to train the next generation of researchers in this field. In June 2023, members of the Global Student Mental Health Research Network met in-person for a three-day conference. One of the main goals was to create recommendations to help more students move into leadership roles in mental health research. These leadership roles, where students take the lead on research projects, offer valuable experience for skill development and to build future careers in the field. Using collaborative workshops, participants developed 15 recommendations grouped into four themes: Communication, Increasing Awareness, Supporting Professional Development, and Reducing Barriers. The recommendations highlight the need for students, staff, and faculty to work together to support the next generation of student mental health researchers. Ongoing support from institutions is essential to meet students’ mental health needs and build lasting progress in the field.

Objectives:The purpose of this scoping review was to explore self-management research conducted in the health care transition (HCT) literature, focusing on youth and young adults (YYA) with childhood-onset chronic conditions (CCC) and involving data collected from parents/caregivers regarding their perceptions and involvement in their child's self-management. Methods:Articles from a larger scoping review (N = 640) that provided an overview of all articles published exploring self-management research in HCT literature were assessed for the extent to which parent/caregiver perspectives of self-management among their YYA aged 9-35 years with CCC were included in the HCT literature. The initial review criteria (protocol published in 2021) were modified to focus on primary research publications. The review process was guided by the JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis. Study samples and methods were synthesized using descriptive analyses. Purpose statements were analyzed based on the domains of the Health Care Transition Research Consortium (HCTRC) HCT model. Results:Studies (n = 218) including parent/caregiver perspectives were published from 1992 to 2025. Demographic data reported in these publications included parent/caregiver type (i.e., mother/father; 52%), age (26.6%), and race/ethnicity (21.5%). Research methods included quantitative (53%), qualitative (38.5%) and mixed (8.2%) with the majority (83%) employing a cross-sectional design. The Domains of HCTRC HCT model addressed in the literature in descending order were Individual (90%), Family/Social Support (62%) Health Care System (35%) and Environment (4%). Conclusions:Research conducted with parental/caregiver input has numerous shortcomings, including inconsistent reporting of demographic data, and overreliance on cross-sectional designs. Research and practice recommendations are suggested to advance the development and implementation of inclusive models of care.

Despite increasing reports of mental health problems among post-secondary students, only a small minority appear to be using campus-based mental health services. Given this discrepancy, research is required to better understand factors contributing to low service utilization to identify potential barriers to access, including knowledge of where to access services. As knowledge proceeds intention to use service, it represents a key upstream intervention target for student populations. Data comes from the 2022 Canadian Campus Wellbeing Survey based on a large (n = 5578) sample from a single, multi-campus post-secondary institution with comprehensive mental health services. Logistic regression is used to identify structural (e.g., gender, ethnicity), psychosocial (e.g., favourable to professional help seeking) and needs-based (e.g., psychological distress, suicidal ideation) predictors of knowledge of where to access campus-based mental health services. Results are compared with a similar model predicting knowledge of where to access off-campus mental health services. A third of students did not have knowledge of where to find on-campus MH services; a significantly larger proportion lacked knowledge of off-campus services (45

Introduction The surge in postsecondary students reporting mental health concerns, coupled with increased utilisation of on-campus and hospital-based mental healthcare, highlights a need to understand effective service navigation. To address this system gap, the University of Toronto and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) leveraged their unique expertise and resources to develop the University of Toronto Navigation (UTN) service. UTN introduces care navigators to facilitate postsecondary student transitions from acute mental health services to community or campus mental healthcare. There has been limited implementation and evaluation of navigator models specific to the postsecondary context to date, which hinders scalability. This paper describes the study protocol of Navigation to Enhance Post-Secondary Students’ Acute Mental Health Care Transitions, a study that aims to collaborate with students, navigators and clinicians to evaluate the UTN service.Methods and analysis A one-stage, single-arm multimethods study design will be used to evaluate the UTN service. We will recruit 103 students following their UTN intake appointment. Students will complete quantitative measures assessing health outcomes, experiences of care and service utilisation at baseline and at three subsequent time points across a 6-month follow-up period. The quantitative data will be linked to administrative healthcare data. The primary evaluation outcome will be defined as attending an appointment with an appropriate care provider (in person or virtually) within 30 days of discharge from the hospital. We will conduct interviews with students and referring clinicians to gather perspectives regarding their experiences and satisfaction with the UTN service in greater depth.Ethics and dissemination Research ethics board approvals have been obtained from the University of Toronto and CAMH. Results will be disseminated through publications and presentations, and a toolkit will be cocreated to support implementation and adaptation of hospital-based navigator interventions in postsecondary contexts.

ObjectiveThe objective of this scoping review is to systematically identify and map the extent, range, and nature of research that explicitly articulates Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) within post-secondary student (PSS) mental health and well-being research, and to describe how EDI is conceptualized, operationalized, and implemented across study designs and research processes.IntroductionResearch addressing PSS mental health and well-being has grown substantially; concurrently, EDI has become a prominent institutional and research priority within post-secondary systems. Despite this convergence, no evidence synthesis has systematically examined how EDI is explicitly integrated into PSS mental health and well-being research.Inclusion criteriaThis review will include research studies of any design that explicitly articulate EDI within PSS mental health and well-being research. Eligible studies must focus on students enrolled in accredited post-secondary institutions and examine mental health or well-being within post-secondary education contexts.MethodsThe review will be conducted in accordance with JBI methodology for scoping reviews and guided by the Population-Concept-Context framework. A three-step search strategy will be implemented. Electronic database searches will be conducted in MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, EMBASE, ERIC, and Scopus or Web of Science, supplemented by targeted searches of eligible grey literature and reference list screening. Records will undergo title and abstract screening by two independent reviewers, followed by full-text screening. Data will be extracted using a structured, pilot-tested tool designed to capture how EDI is defined, framed, and integrated across stages of the research process. Extracted data will be synthesized using descriptive summary statistics, basic qualitative content analysis, and tabular and graphical mapping to address the review questions. The protocol was developed through sustained engagement with PSS with lived experience of mental health and well-being, including students from equity-deserving groups.

BACKGROUND:There is an increasing prevalence of mental health concerns reported among postsecondary students (PSS) and growing demands for care on campuses around the world, as such there is an urgent need for research and innovations in PSS mental health that engages PSS. However, best practices and guidelines for facilitating PSS engagement in research is lacking. To address this gap, we undertook this review to explore frameworks used for engaging with PSS in research focused on PSS mental health. METHODS:A scoping review of the academic literature was conducted. Frameworks used to engage PSS in mental health research were identified and categorized using the taxonomy of patient and public engagement by Greenhalgh et al. A list of barriers and facilitators to engaging with PSS was also identified and reported. RESULTS:Of the articles assessed for full-text screening (n = 167), 26 journal articles were included. Frameworks used for engaging PSS in mental health research were classified into one of the three categories from Greenhalgh et al.'s taxonomy: study-focused (n = 14), partnership-focused (n = 9) and power-focused (n = 3). No relevant frameworks were found for two categories: priority- and report-focused. Seven documents reported relational or process-related barriers and/or facilitators to engaging with PSS. Based on these findings, recommendations were drafted with PSS advisors on how to implement an engagement framework in PSS mental health research. CONCLUSIONS:We identified existing practices outlined within frameworks used to engage PSS and barriers and facilitators to engage with PSS in mental health research. Based on the review findings and PSS advisors recommendations, a need for developing a comprehensive engagement framework specific to the PSS context was identified. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION:The research team led consultations with a PSS advisory group for this review. Student advisors were actively engaged in data analysis, which included categorizing and drafting of recommendations, and the preparation of this manuscript.

Background: Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is prevalent among emerging adults in post-secondary school, but little is known about change and stability in NSSI during the transition to university. Moreover, there has been limited person-centered work focusing on heterogeneity in NSSI engagement among students over time. The present study aimed to investigate the development and maintenance of NSSI across the first year of university and explore predictors of potential variability in trajectories of NSSI. Methods: The present sample consisted of 1125 first-year university students at a large post-secondary institution (Mage = 17.96, 71 % female, 28 % male, 1 % gender diverse) who participated in a larger longitudinal study. Participants completed an online survey three times over their first year of university. Latent growth curve modeling (LGCM) in Mplus was utilized to explore different NSSI group trajectories across first year university. Results: NSSI was prevalent among first year students (35 %). LGCM revealed one developmental trajectory; NSSI engagement decreased across the first year of university. Students who engaged in NSSI had increased difficulties with emotion regulation, lower self-compassion, and lower levels of social support compared to students who did not engage in NSSI. Limitations: The present study may be subject to recall errors and future studies should include more gender diverse samples to increase generalization of findings. Conclusions: Findings highlight the transition to university as a peak period of vulnerability for NSSI engagement and emphasize the need for proactive university intervention efforts to mitigate risk and improve student wellbeing.

Research on exposure to stressors and nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) in daily life has been lacking, particularly among emerging adults (aged 18–25 years). The aim of this study was to determine whether daily stressors predicted same-day and next-day NSSI thoughts and engagement, and whether emotion dysregulation moderated this relation. Participants included 160 emerging adults (83

Exposure to stressors is known to lead to psychological impairment over time. However, the proximal relation between stressors and distress remains unclear, particularly among emerging adults with existing mental health concerns. Using daily diary methods, we explored the associations between five subtypes of daily stressors and negative affect among 160 post-secondary students with recent nonsuicidal self-injury engagement. We also examined whether this relation was moderated by coping strategies. We found a robust relation between daily stressors and negative affect, such that in most same-day and next-day models, relative increases in daily stressors led to increased negative affect. In contrast, we found that heightened negative affect only predicted daily stressor occurrence in same-day models. Problem-focused and socially-supported coping moderated the effect between social mistreatment and distress. Findings emphasize the need to adopt stress mitigation strategies in post-secondary contexts, as stressors may contribute to ongoing distress among students with mental health concerns.

The early post-secondary years are regarded as a period of heightened vulnerability for stress and internalizing symptoms among emerging adults. However, there is a lack of research examining variability in stress and internalizing symptoms among students, the co-occurrence of stress and internalizing symptoms, or predictors of distinct profiles of stress and internalizing symptoms. To address these gaps in the literature, 1125 ethnically diverse first-year students (71% female; Mage = 17.96 years, SD = 0.69; 55% East or South Asian, 21% Caucasian, 24% other ethnicity) were surveyed three times across the first year of university. Latent growth mixture models revealed four distinct profiles (i.e., high distress, moderate increasing distress, low distress, high decreasing distress), in which patterns of perceived stress and internalizing symptoms co-occurred. Higher levels of exposure to stressful life events, identifying as female and/or LGBQ+ were associated with increasing and high distress profiles. The findings underscore variability in distress among students, as well as the strong associations between stressful experiences, perceived stress, and internalizing symptoms.

Evidence suggests that post-secondary students without pre-existing mental health concerns may have experienced worsening mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic, relative to students with pre-existing mental health concerns. To clarify the psychological impacts of the pandemic, and elucidate why differences may exist among students, 20 interviews were conducted with emerging adults enrolled in university. Using directed content analysis, eight themes were identified: three more common among students with pre-existing mental health concerns, three more common among students without pre-existing mental health concerns, and two shared. Although all students experienced novel stressors during the pandemic, students without pre-existing mental health concerns reported greater increases in social and academic isolation, relative to students with pre-existing mental health concerns. Students with pre-existing mental health concerns also leveraged existing coping repertoires, which further supported their ability to manage pandemic-related challenges. Findings highlight how postsecondary institutions can bolster student well-being.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on college and university campuses internationally (e g , widespread campus closures, transitions to online learning) Postsecondary students, who were already a developmentally vulnerable population, are now facing additional new challenges, which could lead to increased mental health concerns However, there is a paucity of research on the psychological impacts of COVID-19, or who may be most at risk, among postsecondary students To address these gaps in the literature, we recontacted a sample of 773 postsecondary students (74% female, Mage = 18 52) who previously completed a survey on student mental health in May 2019, again in May 2020 Students filled out an online survey at both time points, reporting on their recent stressful experiences and mental health Although we expected that students with preexisting mental health concerns would show increased psychological distress during the pandemic, this hypothesis was not supported Instead, repeated-measures analyses demonstrated that students with preexisting mental health concerns showed improving or similar mental health during the pandemic (compared with one year prior) In contrast, students without preexisting mental health concerns were more likely to show declining mental health, which coincided with increased social isolation among these students Our findings underscore that colleges and universities will not only need to continue to support students with preexisting mental health needs but also prioritize early prevention and intervention programming to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 on students with increasing psychological distress, potentially stemming from increasing social isolation in response to the pandemic (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved) Abstract (French) La pandemie mondiale du coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) a eu un impact sans precedent sur les campus universitaires et collegiaux a l'echelle internationale (p ex , fermetures de campus generalisees, transition vers l'apprentissage en ligne) Les etudiants de niveau postsecondaire, qui forment deja une population vulnerable sur le plan developpemental, font maintenant face a de nouveaux defis supplementaires, ce qui pourrait entrainer une augmentation des inquietudes en matiere de sante mentale Or, il y a un manque de recherche sur les impacts psychologiques de la COVID-19, ou sur les personnes qui pourraient etre les plus a risque, chez les etudiants de niveau postsecondaire Afin de combler ces lacunes dans la litterature, nous avons contacte, de nouveau en mai 2020, un echantillon de 773 etudiants de niveau postsecondaire (74 % de sexe feminin, age median = 18,52 ans) qui avaient deja repondu a un sondage en mai 2019 sur la sante mentale des etudiants Les etudiants ont rempli un sondage en ligne aux deux moments, faisant etat de leurs recentes experiences stressantes et de leur sante mentale Bien que nous nous attendions a ce que les etudiants ayant des preoccupations preexistantes en matiere de sante mentale montrent une detresse psychologique accrue pendant la pandemie, cette hypothese n'a pas ete appuyee Au lieu de cela, des analyses repetees ont demontre que les etudiants ayant des problemes preexistants de sante mentale affichaient une amelioration ou une sante mentale similaire pendant la pandemie (comparativement a un an auparavant) En revanche, les etudiants qui n'avaient pas de problemes preexistants de sante mentale etaient plus susceptibles de presenter une diminution de la sante mentale, ce qui coincidait avec un isolement social accru chez ces etudiants Nos resultats soulignent que les colleges et les universites auront non seulement besoin de continuer a soutenir les etudiants ayant des besoins preexistants en sante mentale, mais aussi de donner la priorite aux programmes de prevention et d'intervention precoces afin d'attenuer les repercussions de la COVID-19 sur les etudiants qui eprouvent une detresse psychologique croissante, pouvant decouler d'un isolement social croissant en reponse a la pandemie (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved) Impact Statement Public Significance Statement -Although there is mounting concern that students with preexisting mental health concerns may be particularly vulnerable to the psychological impacts of COVID-19, the present study found that students without preexisting mental health concerns had greater increases in psychological distress during the pandemic Increases in social isolation were unique to students without preexisting mental health concerns (whereas students with preexisting mental health concerns showed no change), which may account for the worsening of their mental health (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved)

Theoretical perspectives on non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI; direct and deliberate self-injury without lethal intent such as self-cutting or hitting) have long underscored the affective regulating properties of NSSI. Less attention has been given to the processes through which individuals choose to engage in NSSI, specifically, to regulate their distress. In the present study, we tested one theoretical model in which recent stressful experiences facilitates NSSI through emotional reactivity. Further, we tested whether the indirect link between stressful experiences and NSSI was moderated by several NSSI specific risk factors (e.g., having friends who engage in NSSI). Given the widespread prevalence of NSSI among community-based samples of adolescents and emerging adults, we surveyed 1,125 emerging adults in first-year university at a large academic institution (72% female, M age = 17.96, 25% with a recent history of NSSI at Time 1). Participants completed an online survey three times (assessments were 4 months apart), reporting on their recent stressful experiences in university, emotional reactivity, NSSI, as well as three NSSI specific risk factors (i.e., close friend engagement in NSSI, high self-disgust, and low fear of pain). As expected, path analysis revealed that there was a significant indirect effect of recent stressful experiences on NSSI engagement, through emotional reactivity. However, this effect was maintained across moderator analyses. These novel findings underscore the salient role of proximally occurring stressors in the prediction of NSSI among emerging adults in university, and can inform developing theoretical perspectives on NSSI.

Developmental theory on nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI; e.g., self-cutting without lethal intent) underscores that stressful life experiences may lead to heightened risk for NSSI, potentially by undermining individuals’ emotion coping capacities. Given that the transition to university is often accompanied by new stressors for emerging adults, it is possible that stressors experienced during the university years may lead to heightened susceptibility for NSSI during this developmental period. Cross-sectional research supports a positive association between stressful experiences and NSSI among students; however, longitudinal research is needed to examine the direction of effects and explore potential mediating factors (i.e., emotion dysregulation). In the present study, university students (N = 1132; 70.5% female; mage = 19.11) reported on their stressful experiences in university, difficulties in emotion regulation, and NSSI each year for three consecutive years. Path analysis revealed a bidirectional association between stressful experiences and NSSI. Increased stressful experiences predicted increased risk for NSSI through emotion dysregulation, and NSSI predicted increased stressful experiences through emotion dysregulation. Overall, these findings provide new insight into the processes through which NSSI may be initiated and maintained, as well as elucidate the impacts of NSSI on emotion regulation and stressful life experiences in university.