Supporting Student Wellness in Introductory Chemistry Courses
The World Health Organization reported in October 2024 that 14% of adolescents aged 10 to 19 experience mental health challenges, a figure that has steadily increased over the past decade. Similarly, the American College Health Association has observed a 1% annual increase in anxiety, depression, and other mental health diagnoses among undergraduates. While addressing this mental health crisis is complex, the transition from high school to college and participation in introductory STEM courses have been identified as key stressors, especially for students from marginalized backgrounds. As mental health challenges grow, it is critical for educators—especially those teaching first-year courses—to adopt equitable pedagogical strategies that support both academic success and student wellness.
We propose the development, implementation and evaluation of a novel wellness initiative that tailors mental wellness resources to students’ unique identities and social positions, ensuring equitable access to tools for addressing wellness challenges. The initiative will integrate wellness learning through bi-weekly modules delivered in-class and during mandatory weekly discussion sections. Each module will include brief lectures on mental health topics, highlighting research-based strategies and exploring how students’ unique experiences influence their engagement with these strategies. Activities such as guest speakers, group discussions, and reflection questions will complement the lectures. In discussion sections, students will work in pre-assigned groups to share experiences, develop actionable wellness plans, and experiment with wellness techniques. The initiative’s impact will be evaluated through pre- and post-initiative surveys, interviews, and classroom observations. We expect the initiative to improve students’ perceived wellness, increase their utilization of mental health resources, and enhance their sense of belonging in STEM. Further, the long-term vision for this project is to build a customizable wellness intervention that can be adopted by any large-enrollment course at UCLA to build capacity at the university level to address student wellness challenges. This project aligns with Goal 3 and Goal 4 of UCLA’s Strategic Plan, where this project will pursue novel research to implement improved pedagogical strategies to support student learning.