Does mattering matter for mental health in students at UK universities?
Donna Smith discusses mental health and mattering in students at UK universities and some findings from her PhD research.
20 February 2025
Increasing mental ill-health in students at UK universities is cause for grave concern. Recent statistics show that almost one third of UK undergraduates disclosed a mental health condition, and this is consistent with an international study by the World Health Organisation, where over one third of first year university students in eight countries (including the UK) screened positive for a mental health disorder. International research demonstrates that mattering plays an important role in university students' mental health, but this had not been studied in the UK.
What is mattering?
Mattering is our sense of how significant we are to others: do we feel we are important to them, that they notice us, depend on us and miss us when we are not there, and that they are proud of our achievements? Our sense of self is likely to be positively affected if we feel we are significant to others, and negatively affected if not.
What is the role of mattering in student mental health?
Many international research studies have shown that the more students feel they matter, the less likely they are to experience mental health problems. A review of the research in this area concluded that mattering is vital for the mental health of students and universities should act to increase their students' sense of mattering. Despite this, mattering was absent from the UK literature on student mental health.
What is the relationship between mental health and mattering in UK university students?
As part of my PhD research, I devised a study to investigate the role of mattering in UK university students' mental health, comparing continuing-generation students (CGS; one or both parents achieved a university degree) and first-generation students (FGS; neither parent achieved a university degree).
The results of an anonymous online survey of 242 UK university students (124 CGS; 114 FGS) showed that higher levels of mattering were associated with lower levels of mental health problems (depression, eating concerns, substance use, generalised anxiety, frustration/anger, social anxiety, family distress, academic distress, total distress) for all students, but particularly for FGS.
What's next for mattering and mental health research?
It is clear that the concept of mattering has potential as a basis for strategies and interventions by universities to improve mental health in their students. Following publication of the quantitative results from this study (reference below), I am now analysing the qualitative data which adds context and richer detail. In particular, the insights from students themselves about what makes them feel they matter will be invaluable for universities seeking to increase mattering in their students.
Final thoughts
Mattering is very powerful; research shows that it is associated with a whole host of positive outcomes for people in general, not just university students. Perhaps we should all consider how we can be better at making the people around us feel that they matter.
Acknowledgements
I am very grateful to the students who participated in this study.
Thank you to BPS West Midlands Branch for the award of a bursary towards the costs of attending the European Conference on Educational Research 2024 to disseminate these findings.
Support and helplines
For mental health emergencies, please call 999 or go to A&E
For urgent mental health advice and support, please call your GP or NHS 111 (also available online at https://111.nhs.uk). You can also access urgent local support via this link: https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/mental-health-services/where-to-get-urgent-help-for-mental-health/
For mental health support, please contact your university counselling or welfare services. You can also contact Student Minds by texting SHOUT to 85258 or emailing [email protected]
For a listening ear or someone to talk to, please call the Samaritans on 116 123 or email [email protected]. You can also access support via this link: https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan
Further reading
Smith, D., & McLellan, R. (2024). 'Mental health and mattering in UK university students: A comparison between continuing-generation students and first-generation students'. Education Sciences, 14(12), 1317. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14121317
Author biography
Donna Smith is a PhD researcher in the Psychology, Education and Learning Studies (PELS) Research Group at the Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge. She is a member of the Wellbeing and Inclusion Special Interest Group, and her research focuses on mental health problems in first-generation university students.
Donna is a member of the BPS West Midlands Branch (living in Shropshire) and she is the postgraduate representative for the BPS Psychology of Education Section.
X/Twitter: Donna_L_Smith