A range of activities was organised by HEALERS in collaboration with students from the Bachelor of Psychology (BPSY) and Bachelor of Counselling (BCouns) programmes to mark World Mental Health Day from 6 to 10 October 2024.

The activities created opportunities for the university community to engage with mental health awareness and wellbeing in an interactive and supportive environment. Through their involvement, students were able to apply knowledge and skills gained through their programmes while contributing to peer-focused mental health promotion within the university.

As part of the World Mental Health Day programme, an art competition was organised for staff of the Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS) on 10 October 2024. The initiative provided staff members with an opportunity for creative expression, relaxation and positive social interaction, while highlighting the importance of maintaining mental wellbeing in the workplace.

Winners of the art competition were selected through staff voting, encouraging participation and engagement across the Faculty. Beyond the competition itself, the activity provided a platform for colleagues to connect through a shared creative experience and contributed to fostering a supportive and positive workplace environment.

The World Mental Health Day activities demonstrated the value of combining student engagement, peer mental health promotion and staff wellbeing initiatives within the university setting. They also provided students with practical opportunities to contribute to mental health awareness beyond the classroom.

The initiatives contributed to SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) by promoting mental health awareness and wellbeing, while supporting SDG 4 (Quality Education) through experiential student engagement. The staff-focused art competition also contributed to SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) by supporting a positive and wellbeing-oriented workplace environment.