Psychosocial safety pressures across Australian universities
Adelaide University
A landmark report from Adelaide University is providing the most comprehensive picture to date of psychosocial safety across Australia’s higher education sector.
The Australian Research Council (ARC)-funded study identifies widespread wellbeing and psychosocial safety issues across higher education.
Released today, the Australian Universities Census on Staff Wellbeing* ranks 36 of Australia’s 42 universities against national psychosocial safety climate benchmarks, with the top three performers being Charles Darwin University, the University of New South Wales, and the University of Queensland.
Across the sector, the report found:
- More than 80% of staff reported high or very high levels of emotional exhaustion
- All universities recorded high or very high psychosocial safety risks.
- More than three-quarters of staff reported elevated psychosocial safety risk levels.
- Risk levels were consistently high across gender, role, and employment level.
- Psychosocial safety climate risks in universities are more than double those in the general workforce.
- 73% disagreed that risks to their psychological health were actively monitored.
Lead researcher ARC Laureate Professor Maureen Dollard says while the results are very concerning, they also present opportunities for the higher education sector to address working conditions and staff wellbeing. She says the research offers universities a clear roadmap for action.
“Over recent decades, Australian universities have undergone profound transformation, with deregulation, intensified competition, and a productivity driven agenda reshaping the sector,” Laureate Prof Dollard says.
“Universities have also been challenged by increasing workloads, job insecurity and losses, restructures, technological overload, cuts to funding, as well as public scrutiny of governance and executive remuneration.
“Despite multiple government reviews – including the Australian Universities Accord and a Senate Inquiry – staff wellbeing has received little direct attention.
“Staff are the backbone of teaching, research, and student support. Yet their psychological health has been neglected for far too long. Without urgent action, the sector’s ability to deliver high-quality education, world-class research, and positive student experiences will be compromised.
“This study shows that psychosocial safety is not an isolated issue – it’s a sector-wide challenge and requires a sector wide approach. It also requires a shift in the mindset of university management – from a productivity agenda – to prioritise worker psychological health and wellbeing as a key performance indicator.
“By presenting Australia’s universities with a robust set of national goals and benchmarks, institutions now have a solid starting point from which to address and improve psychosocial safety.”
The Australian Universities Census on Staff Wellbeing represents the view of more than 11,500 university staff across 42 Australian universities.
Findings from the report will be discussed at an online national seminar today, featuring Adelaide University Prof Dollard, Charles Darwin University Vice-Chancellor Professor Scott Bowman, Safe Work Australia CEO Marie Boland and NTEU National Assistant Secretary Gabe Gooding.
Under Australian Work Health and Safety laws, universities are obligated to prevent and manage psychosocial risks.
Adelaide University Vice-Chancellor Professor Nicola Phillips says findings reinforce the importance of putting staff wellbeing at the heart of the new institution.
“As a new university, Adelaide University has a unique opportunity to learn from this national evidence and embed strong psychosocial safety practices from the outset,” Prof Phillips says.
“We recognise the pressures facing the higher education sector and are committed to building a workplace that supports our people.
“We are prioritising engagement, listening to feedback, and keeping open channels so all staff feel supported and valued as we work together to shape a healthy culture for our new university.”
Prof Dollard says ongoing transparency and collaboration is critical.
“By prioritising psychosocial safety, universities can rebuild trust, strengthen performance, and create workplaces that support the wellbeing of the people who make higher education possible.”
Notes to editors:
- *The Psychosocial Climate Global Observatory team based at Adelaide University is responsible for the report. The team includes ARC Laureate Professor Maureen Dollard, Professor Kurt Lushington, Dr Amy Zadow, and Daniel Neser.
- The full report is available here: https://stresscafe.net/census/
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Australian University Provider Number PRV12105 | CRICOS Provider Number 00123M
Method of Research
Survey
Subject of Research
People
How AI tools like DeepSeek are transforming emotional and mental health care of Chinese youth
Taylor & Francis Group
China’s youth is facing an unprecedented mental health crisis. Now, experts are exploring the potential healing power of artificial intelligence (AI) in a society where mental health issues have long been taboo.
Clinical psychologist Dr. Olive Woo and AI expert Dr. Yuk Ming Tang suggest the technology could be transformative for accessible emotional support, provided it is implemented with care and responsibility.
In their new book, DeepSeek and Mental Health Support Among Chinese Youth, the experts shed light on the escalating mental health crisis among Chinese youth and how popular AI platforms like DeepSeek are emerging as lifelines in addressing this so-called silent epidemic.
The mental health crisis among Chinese youth
The rise in mental health issues among Chinese youth is often referred to as the ‘silent crisis’. Despite rapid socioeconomic development, the psychological well-being of young people in China remains precarious, with rising rates of anxiety, depression and suicide.
Studies estimate that depression symptoms affect over 20% of Chinese teens, while suicide has become a leading cause of death among those aged 15-24.
Societal pressures, cultural norms and systemic barriers exacerbate the issue. The authors explain how, in Chinese society, mental illness is often stigmatised, tied to the concept of ‘losing face’ and discouraging individuals from seeking help.
“The emotional wellbeing of young people in China is in crisis. Yet societal stigma and a severe shortage of professional mental health resources leave countless individuals without the support they desperately need,” the authors explain.
The authors further explain how family expectations, such as intense academic pressure and the unique burdens faced by the one-child generation, further compound the problem. Additionally, disparities in access to mental health resources between urban and rural areas leave many without adequate support.
AI as the frontline response to mental health in China
Amid these challenges, AI platforms like DeepSeek are emerging as potential solutions to bridge the gap in mental health care.
The authors explain how DeepSeek leverages advanced natural language processing and generative AI to provide round-the-clock support tailored to Chinese society. By offering anonymous and non-judgmental assistance, they argue DeepSeek lowers the barriers to seeking help, particularly for young people hesitant to access traditional mental health services.
Dr Tang says: “DeepSeek’s ability to operate offline and process real-time data positions it as a powerful tool for early detection, efficient triage and continuous monitoring of mental health conditions. Its scalability and affordability make it accessible to underserved populations, including those in remote or low-income regions.”
Balancing benefits and limitations
While AI platforms like DeepSeek offer promising solutions, the authors caution against over-reliance on technology without adequate human oversight.
AI systems lack genuine empathy and emotional intelligence, they warn, and AI-powered tools could provide harmful feedback due to limitations in understanding nuanced emotional states or cultural expressions, potentially worsening the mental health of at-risk individuals.
AI models trained on biased datasets may also perpetuate disparities in care, leading to inappropriate or ineffective recommendations. For individuals with serious mental health issues, breaches of sensitive data could exacerbate their conditions.
To counter this, the authors suggest AI should be positioned as a complementary tool rather than a replacement for human therapists. AI systems must undergo continuous human oversight to prevent hallucinations and incorrect recommendations, and they suggest clinicians should retain ultimate control over decisions.
To mitigate risks such as data privacy breaches and algorithmic bias, policies must enforce robust data encryption, anonymisation protocols, and the use of diverse, representative training datasets to enhance equity.
“The mental health crisis among Chinese youth demands urgent attention, and AI tools like DeepSeek offer a glimmer of hope. By addressing stigma, accessibility, and cultural sensitivity, these platforms represent a transformative shift in emotional care. However, their success depends on ethical implementation and global collaboration to ensure safe and equitable use,” Dr Woo explains.
The future of AI-Powered mental health support
The authors argue that AI has the potential to revolutionise mental health care not just in China, but globally. Platforms like DeepSeek demonstrate how technology can address stigma, increase accessibility, and provide culturally adaptive solutions.
However, they warn that the path forward requires careful oversight, ethical frameworks, and international collaboration to balance innovation with security.
Dr. Woo explains: “This is not just about technology, it is about people. It is about bridging the gap between need and access, offering hope and healing through AI, while ensuring its implementation is guided by care and responsibility.”
Academic pressure linked to increased risk of depression risk in teens
Pressure to achieve at school at age 15 is linked to depressive symptoms and risk of self-harm, and the association appears to persist into adulthood, finds a study led by University College London (UCL) researchers.
The authors of the new study, published in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, say their findings suggest that reducing academic pressure in schools could reduce depression and self-harm among young people.
Senior author Professor Gemma Lewis (UCL Psychiatry) said: “In recent years, rates of depression have been rising among young people in the UK and in other countries, and academic pressure also appears to be on the rise. Young people report that academic pressure is one of their biggest sources of stress. A certain amount of pressure to succeed in school can be motivating, but too much pressure can be overwhelming and may be detrimental to mental health.
“We found that young people who felt more pressured by schoolwork at age 15 went on to report higher levels of depressive symptoms, for multiple years into adulthood.”
For their study, the researchers reviewed evidence from 4,714 adolescents from the Children of the 90s birth cohort study (Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children – ALSPAC), a longitudinal cohort study of parents and their children born in the southwest of England in 1991 and 1992, who have been surveyed at regular intervals.
The authors of the current paper used questionnaire responses from when study participants were aged 15, close to the time of GCSE exams, to reflect academic pressure. Young people reported whether they worry a lot about getting their schoolwork done, whether they feel a lot of pressure from home to do well in school, and the importance of achieving at least five GCSEs.
Depressive symptoms were tracked repeatedly in survey responses from ages 16 to 22, and self-harm was assessed up to age 24.
The researchers found strong evidence that academic pressure at age 15 is linked to higher depressive symptoms at age 16, and the association persists for multiple years. Study participants who experienced high levels of academic pressure when they were 15 continued to report more depressive symptoms at each time point up to age 22.
Each one-point increase on a nine-point scale of academic pressure at age 15 was associated with 8% increased odds of self-harm, through mid-late adolescence and into the early 20s. Academic pressure at age 15 was associated with greater risk of self-harm as late as age 24.
In a secondary analysis, the researchers also found that academic pressure at age 11 and 14 was linked to depressive symptoms.
The researchers say their findings suggest that alleviating academic pressure for teenagers could have benefits to mental health, and should be considered by schools and educational policymakers. Potential solutions might involve reducing tests and assessments or supporting the development of social and emotional skills.
They say they hope to develop a whole-school intervention, aiming to change the school environment, culture and values, in a way that could reduce academic pressure and improve mental health and wellbeing.
Professor Lewis said: “Current approaches to help pupils with mental health tend to be focused on helping individual pupils cope; we hope to address academic pressure at the whole-school level by addressing the school culture.”
The authors say that more up-to-date data is still needed to understand how current pressures may be linked to mental health, as the study participants were aged 15 in 2006-07, so the findings do not reflect the impacts of later policy changes or of the Covid-19 pandemic. They caution that the study was observational, so the findings cannot prove cause and effect. They also note that they did not use a standardised measure of academic pressure, and the measure they used combined both external pressure (such as from parents or teachers) and internal pressure which could be driven by the pupil’s own worries and priorities.
The study was funded by Wellcome and the Royal Society.
Tolu Fashina-Ayilara, Senior Policy and Influencing Officer at mental health charity Mind, commented: “UCL’s study highlights the significant harm academic pressure can have on young people’s mental health. This supports Mind’s previous research, in which almost four in five young people (78%) reported that school had made their mental health worse. Evidence like this shows why we need to take increasing rates of poor mental health among young people seriously and explore the social, emotional, and economic pressures driving these trends. This focus is crucial to reduce the number of young people struggling with their mental health and making sure all young people have the right support to thrive.”
Note: UCL200
2026 marks a major milestone for UCL Р200 years since we were founded as the first university in London Рand on 11 February 2026, UCL is beginning a year of celebration to mark our Bicentenary, starting with a dazzling series of son et lumi̬re shows, UCL Illuminated.
UCL200 promises an exciting and varied programme of activities, events and storytelling, aiming to celebrate and reinforce UCL’s commitment to our founding values, highlight the excellence and impact of our groundbreaking work and people, and present an ambitious and inspiring portrait of our future. Highlights of the UCL200 programme will include: a major new free exhibition – Two Centuries Here – that explores UCL’s past, present and future; a public art programme; and three specially published books about the histories of UCL, Bloomsbury and students in London.
Journal
The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health
Method of Research
Observational study
Subject of Research
People
Article Title
The association between academic pressure and adolescent depressive symptoms and self-harm: a longitudinal, prospective study in England
Article Publication Date
12-Feb-2026
Study finds link between sugary drinks and anxiety in young people
A new study has identified an association between consumption of drinks containing a high amount of sugar and anxiety symptoms in adolescents.
Researchers at Bournemouth University were part of a team involved in reviewing the findings of multiple studies that have investigated people’s diets and their mental health, to establish common findings.
Their results have been published in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics.
“With increasing concern about adolescent nutrition, most public health initiatives have emphasised the physical consequences of poor dietary habits, such as obesity and type-2 diabetes,” said Dr Chloe Casey, Lecturer in Nutrition and co-author of the study. “However, the mental health implications of diet have been underexplored by comparison, particularly for drinks that are energy dense but low in nutrients,” she added.
Anxiety disorders are a leading cause of mental distress among young people, in 2023 it was estimated that one in five children and young people had a mental health disorder, with anxiety one of the most reported conditions.
The studies investigated by the research team measured sugary drink consumption and mental health of the young people through surveys. Beverages with high amounts of sugar can include fizzy drinks, energy drinks, sugary juices, squashes, sweetened tea and coffee, and flavoured milks.
The results consistently found a link between high levels of sugary drink consumption and anxiety.
The researchers emphasise that because of the nature of the studies they investigated, the findings do not provide evidence that drinking more sugary drinks directly causes anxiety. It is also possible that experiencing symptoms of anxiety leads to some young people consuming more sugary drinks. Or there could be other common factors – for example family life and sleeping disorders – that lead to both increased consumption and symptoms of anxiety.
“Whilst we may not be able to confirm at this stage what the direct cause is, this study has identified an unhealthy connection between consumption of sugary drinks and anxiety disorders in young people,” Dr Casey said.
“Anxiety disorders in adolescence have risen sharply in recent years so it is important to identify lifestyle habits which can be changed to reduce the risk of this trend continuing,” she concluded.
The study was led by former Bournemouth University PhD student, Dr Karim Khaled, who now works at Lebanese American University, Beirut.
Journal
Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics
Method of Research
Meta-analysis
Subject of Research
People
Article Title
Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption and Anxiety Disorders in Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Article Publication Date
10-Feb-2026
