Trends and determinants of time spent in the emergency department among Australian hospital presenting self-harm cases.

Aims: Waiting time (WT) and length of stay (LOS) are important metrics used to assess service delivery in emergency departments (EDs), and have been associated with subsequent re-presentations in EDs. This study investigated socio-demographic and health service determinants of WT and LOS among hospital treated self-harm (SH) cases presenting to EDs in Australian based hospitals.

Methods: This study employed a retrospective cohort study of all SH cases (N = 6203) presenting to public hospital EDs in the Western Sydney catchment area from January 2016 to December 2022.

The Impact of Mental Health Literacy Training Programs on the Mental Health Literacy of University Students: a Systematic Review.

Student mental health is of growing concern for the university education sector. Supporting opportunities to increase mental health literacy of students is one strategy in which universities and colleges are actively investing to support students build their capacity to be well. This study is a systematic review of mental health literacy training (MHLT) programs, other than Mental Health First Aid training, to examine their impact on the mental health literacy of university students.

How I cope at university: Self-directed stress management strategies of Australian students.

Universities across the world remain under-resourced and frequently unequipped to provide the required support to the increasing demand of students experiencing mental health problems. While there is a considerable amount of research focusing on university student stress levels, interventions to address them, and coping strategies adopted by students, little research has reported on the strategies students choose to manage their stress and how that relates to their self-identified sources of stress as well as to what universities are offering to support their mental health and wellbeing. The present study provides a contribution in this direction, reporting on a study that surveyed over 3200 students from three large Australian metropolitan universities and interviewed three groups of university staff who provide student wellbeing services.

Students as leaders in supporting campus well-being: Peer-to-peer health promotion in higher education.

Issue Addressed: This study aimed to analyse the relationship between peer-delivered health promotion programmes and student well-being and to expand the limited body of research examining peer-to-peer mental health promotion as experienced by student leaders.

Methods: The study was cross-sectional and focused on the experience of participants of a Sydney-based University Mental Health Day event, including student leaders, student participants, university staff and industry partners. It adopted a mixed-method approach to data collection, including a quantitative and a qualitative phase.

Creating Healthy Universities: The role of campus-based health promotion events in supporting student well-being.

Issue Addressed: University students have been increasingly recognised as a population with a high prevalence of mental ill health, with research suggesting that psychological distress is higher among tertiary education students than nonstudents. The purpose of this study was to assess students' perceptions of the effectiveness of student-led, campus-based mental health promotion events on their well-being.

Methods: The cross-sectional study included six campus-based events, and collected data from 700 university students using a survey tool that included quantitative and qualitative measures.

Creating healthier graduates, campuses and communities: Why Australia needs to invest in health promoting universities.

Issue: Higher education is an important and influential setting for embedding health promotion principles and practice. Universities have a responsibility to their communities and more broadly as leaders in society.

Project: Settings-based health promotion is an effective method for increasing healthy environments and an organisational culture that supports health.