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Student Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy

Deakin's commitment to our students extends beyond providing them with a premium education experience. Our vision is to be an inclusive and supportive university community, with an evidence-based and coordinated approach to fostering student's positive mental health and wellbeing.

Supporting Deakin students

Deakin’s Student Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2023–25 addresses three key priorities:

  • prevention
  • response
  • continuous improvement.

The Strategy builds upon the program of work undertaken since 2019 and is based upon six guiding principles adapted from the Orygen Australian University Mental Health Framework 2020 (PDF, 2.1MB).

Download Deakin's Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy

This strategy outlines our focus for the next three years. We will continue to work collaboratively to understand and minimise the factors which heighten the risk of mental ill-health, and ensure our mental health strategies are planned, implemented, evaluated and that outcomes are shared.

Download the Strategy (PDF, 3.0MB)

Guiding principles

Through our guiding principles, the strategy allows us to put the following into practice.

  • Implement mental health and wellbeing approaches that are informed by student needs, perspectives and the reality of lived experience.
  • Create an environment that both enhances and promotes student mental health and wellbeing.
  • Foster a mentally healthy university community that encourages participation; champions a diverse, inclusive environment; promotes connectedness; and supports academic, professional and personal achievement.
  • Strengthen our response to mental health issues and strengthen mental wellbeing through collaboration and coordinated actions.
  • Ensure students can access appropriate, timely and effective referrals to specialised services.
  • Use accurate and recent evidence to improve and strengthen initiatives that support student mental health and wellbeing.
Vice-Chancellor's message

Vice-Chancellor's message

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. Student wellbeing is a Deakin-wide responsibility; a student-centred approach is paramount. 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.

Professor Iain Martin, Vice-Chancellor

Executive sponsors

The Student Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy is a critical strategy across both teaching and the student experience and is endorsed by our executive sponsors at the highest levels.

Professor, Liz Johnson
Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academic & Alfred Deakin Professor

Kerrie Parker
Executive Vice-President Resources

Contact us

If you have any questions about Deakin's Student Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy, please email respect@deakin.edu.au.

Discover more

Student life and services
Teaching and learning
Support services
Diversity, equity and inclusion
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