Mental health and wellbeing in universities in an age of digital capitalism: The United Kingdom as exemplary case

Felicity Callard; Dimitra Kotouza,; Philip Garnett; Leon Rocha,

doi:10.1016/j.ssmmh.2022.100094

Mental health and wellbeing in universities in an age of digital capitalism: The United Kingdom as exemplary case

Felicity Callard, Dimitra Kotouza,, Philip Garnett, Leon Rocha,

The York Management School

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Student mental health and well-being is a focus of great attention and concern. While research is increasingly investigating institutional factors that might affect mental health and well-being, university infrastructures and frameworks themselves are rarely considered. This Short Communication takes the United Kingdom as an exemplary case to outline the implementation and intensified use of digital technologies, infrastructures, and data; and the expansion of new relationships between universities and other (often corporate) entities. We outline the need for greater scrutiny and deliberation concerning: (i) gaps in evidence and evaluation; (ii) uncertainty regarding how systematically students are being consulted; and (iii) broader implications of these new markets and data uses. These approaches are influencing conceptualisations of student mental health and well-being, and affecting which actors and which tools are measuring and intervening in students’ mental health. Many ethical, political and clinical issues are raised by such approaches: they deserve greater critical attention
from all in mental health.

Original language	English
Article number	100094
Journal	SSM - Mental Health
Volume	2
Early online date	24 Mar 2022
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmmh.2022.100094
Publication status	Published - Dec 2022

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Cite this

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