The conference will explore mental wellbeing within higher education.

The recipients of the 2023 Mind Matters Initiative (MMI) Sarah Brown Mental Health Research Grant are to present their research at a conference in Sheffield this month.

Faye Didymus and Jackie Hargreaves, both of Leeds Beckett University, will reveal the findings of their study into mental health education and its integration into veterinary nursing diplomas.

The Mental Wellbeing in HE Conference, run by AdvanceHE, is due to take place in Sheffield on 14 May. It is set to explore approaches to mental wellbeing in higher education, with a focus on how strategies might enhance the wellbeing of both staff and students.

It will also investigate institutional responses to reasonable adjustments, crisis management and trauma-informed teaching practices.

In their session, Dr Didymus and Dr Hargreaves will explain their MMI-funded research into how these principles can be integrated into veterinary nurse training.

The first stage of their project involved a scoping review of existing mental health education in the curriculum. Existing curriculum documents from education establishments were reviewed, and further information was sought from tutors through an online survey.

The second stage saw them conduct a deep exploration of mental health education and experiences. Researchers had interviews with SVNs, VN tutors and qualified VNs before the data was triangulated and a thematic analysis conducted.

Their findings explored the experiences of interviewees during their education, as well as later in practice. Researchers assessed how these findings could inform future veterinary nursing curricula.

The data is now being used to generate recommendations for mental health education. It is hoped that the recommendations will support students in further education, higher education, in placements and later in their future careers.

As well as presenting the results at the Mental Wellbeing in HE Conference, Dr Didymus and Dr Hargreaves will also present their findings at the MMI Mental Health Research Symposium in Birmingham in October 2025.

Read more about the Mental Wellbeing in HE Conference on its website.

Image © RCVS