Black Students Wellbeing Study
Mental Health and Wellbeing of Black University Students in the UK
The purpose of this project was to explore the mental health journey and experiences of Black (African, Caribbean, and mixed heritage with Black) students at UK universities.
Research Lead: Dr Nkasi Stoll
Supervisors: Professor Stephani Hatch, Professor Heidi Lempp and Dr Nicola Byrom
Collaborators: Student Minds
Funders: Economic Social Research Council via LISS-DTP
Institution: King’s College London, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience
Why did this project exist?
In 2019 the Office for Students reported that “black students with mental health conditions are being failed throughout the student cycle” and that universities need to address these mental health inequalities.
However, we don’t know what the lived experiences of Black university students are and what mental health and wellbeing support is needed for Black students.
This project aimed to:
Give Black students the opportunity to talk about the life events and experiences they feel shape their mental health and wellbeing journeys at university.
Explore how institutional and structural racism within UK higher education systems shape the mental health and wellbeing experiences and outcomes of Black university students.
The Stories
In 2020-2021 I spoke to 24 Black university undergraduate and postgraduate students who attend or recently attended one of 10 selected universities across the UK to take part in a virtual interview with me, to tell their story.
Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was used to capture and examine the experiences of Black university students at all stages of the university student lifecycle.
Why Black students’ stories matter
The result and write up of this project has the potential to generate a better understanding of the Black student mental health experience within UK higher education.
This understanding can guide how UK higher education institutes should support Black university students, promote mental health awareness among the Black community and wider community, and give a voice to the Black university student community.
