Over 300 people attended the SMaRteN Conference that featured six live panel sessions on topics ranging from Mental Health Literacy Across The Institution to The Future Priorities For Student Mental Health Research. Some of our keynote speakers included world-class researchers Professor Daniel Eisenberg, Professor Emeritus Anthony Jorm and Sally Kift. Please click on the videos below to watch them in action for yourself. 

Highlights from our 2020 Conference.

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This panel tackles issues and questions around the evidence base for online interventions, the needs of different student groups and preventative and systematic ‘whole university’ measures for supporting student mental health.

​Panel discussion with Nancy Hey - Director, What Works Wellbeing Centre, Leigh Spanner - Senior Improvement Lead, Student Minds, Dr Jason Arday - Professor of Sociology, University of Durham, Dr Bethan Davies - Research Fellow for NIHR MindTech Cooperative and Dr Joanna Worlsey - Lecturer in Psychology, University of Liverpool

This panel aims to provide an insight to the degree of Mental Health Literacy (MHL) across institutions and discuss the impact this is having on disclosure and help-seeking for mental health concerns. We aim to present the complexities of understanding and assessing MHL and use current research to suggest ways of improving it across higher education.

​Panel discussion with Anthony Jorm - Professor Emeritus in the Centre for Public Health, University of Melbourne, Julia Haas - Student Wellbeing and Welfare Manager, King's College London, Kath Caffrey - Mental Health Trainer, Charlie Waller Memorial Trust, Denise Meyer - Senior Counsellor, University of Portsmouth and Kate Ippolito, Principal Teaching Fellow, Centre for Higher Education Research and Scholarship.

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Concerns about university student mental health have been raised in recent years, with a high prevalence of mental health problems among university students. To address the general question about the causes of mental health problems among university students in the UK there is a need for more robust prevalence estimates and further investigation of the trends and risk factors.

Panel discussion with Rosie Tressler CEO, Student Minds, Dr Randy Auerbach - Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Columbia University, Daniel Eisenberg - Professor of Health Policy and Management at UCLA, Chloe Casey - SMaRteN Student Research Team, Anna Ambwene - SMaRteN Student Research Team, Katie Tyrell - Research Associate, University of Suffolk, Dr Emma Broglia - Research and Policy Coordinator, University of Sheffield.

Inclusion and exclusion, as well as feeling lonely, have continuously been a major contributor to worsening student mental health and university experience. This panel aims to present current research and report on consequences caused by the lack of sense of belonging. We intend to enhance understanding and encourage further investigations for bettering student mental health with the input of the students themselves.

​Panel discussion with Seeta Bhardwa - Student Content Editor, Times Higher Education, Dr Louise Arsenault - Professor of Developmental Psychology, King's College London, Dominic Smithies - Student Voice & Equality Lead, Student Minds, Kris Taneva - SMaRteN Student Research Team, Dr Duna Sabri - Author, King's College London and Dr Manny Madriaga - Senior Lecturer in Education Studies, Sheffield Hallam University

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The future of student mental health research is ever-changing and adapting evermore with the changes in the world. COVID-19 implicates new measures to testing students but also opens new avenues for where research is necessary. By exploring in what new ways students seek and require support, we look to aid researchers but also improve the status quo of mental health in our society. The significance of this session essentially then, relies upon our efforts to provide transparency but also plausible solutions. What can we do? What will we do?

​Panel discussion with Dr Nicola Byrom - Principal Investigator, SMaRteN, Dr Neil Armstrong - Lecturer in Anthropology, University of Oxford, Dr Juliet Foster - Dean of Education, King's College London, Dr Ellie Dommett - Reader in Neuroscience, King's College London, John de Pury - Assistant Director of Policy, Universities UK and Connor Gayle - SMaRteN Student Research Team.

This panel will explore the impact of academic culture, structure and assessment on students. With speakers exploring the learner journey through key life transitions and wellbeing measures alongside the academic relationship.

Panel discussion with Dr Sally Kift - Visiting Professorial Fellow, National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education (NCSEHE), Dr Susannah McGowan, Associate Director for Curriculum Design, Georgetown University, Lesley Turner - SMaRteN Student Research Team, Cameron Williams - Researcher and Project Manager, Black Dog Institute, Rachel Piper, Youth Engagement Officer, Child Outcomes Research Consortium (CORC)