Wider coverage of the student sector has not softened the story surrounding pressures on minority groups, where there is a demonstrable difference between different subgroups of the student community and their mental health scores. In fact, the improved response rates only serve to validate the 2023 results.

Students with disabilities and long-term illness report the worst living experience, demonstrating some of the lowest MHI-5 scores in the survey at 46. Those that don’t identify as Male/Female report lower MHI-scores (49) than cis-gender students (58).

Creating connections and communities to facilitate a sense of belonging for all types of students must be a central objective for operators.

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Note: The total percentages to do always add to a 100% as those who chose not to respond to the above questions have been excluded.

We also see that female students are unhappier than male students (who collectively represent the only group over the MHI5 threshold). Reports of loneliness are higher among women. There are no indications from the SLM data that women are unhappier due to safety or security reasons.

Study level and student residence status

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We note here that of all exchange students who took the SLM survey, 92% are living in PBSA or university halls, which attribute to their higher  wellbeing score. Regarding exchange students, other data shows that exchange students struggle a lot more with finding good accommodation due to their short-term requirements. See ESN report 2023

We asked the respondents what the biggest stressors in three areas (university, social and academic performance) of their life are, these were our findings:

40% of students said that their happiness and living has been negatively impacted by loneliness. Conversely, those not experiencing loneliness report the best living experience in the survey.

Similarly, and unsurprisingly, those impacted by bullying/discrimination are much unhappier than those who are not. SLM data shows that loneliness, bullying and discrimination can have devastating effect on a student’s living experience. Creating tolerant communities, and access to right protocols and reporting mechanisms that allow for a sense of safety, and belonging for all students will help minimise issues.

There has been an increase in the number of students struggling with relationships (including making new friends). This are all understandable in the context of going to university to a new place, but these are ongoing major pressures which contribute to the happiness and living experience in general. Knowing where to turn for support is a challenge for many students, and universities and operators can play a critical role by actively guiding and connecting students to the right resources, thereby significantly improving their living experience.