Image: As mental health challenges continue to rise globally, the University of the Western Cape (UWC) offers a hopeful and practical blueprint that blends innovation, empathy and student voice to create a supportive academic experience grounded in care and accountability.
According to Statistics South Africa, nearly one in five adolescents in the country experience symptoms of depression, anxiety, or related mental health concerns. On university campuses, these numbers are even more alarming, as students face compounded pressures ranging from academic stress and financial hardship to social isolation and trauma.
When Thandi (a pseudonym), a second-year student at UWC, found herself overwhelmed by coursework, sleepless nights and a deep sense of disconnection, the idea of visiting a counselling office felt too intimidating. Even speaking to close friends about her anxiety seemed impossible.
One evening, while scrolling through the student portal, she discovered Wysa, UWC’s AI-powered mental health chatbot. Available 24/7, Wysa allowed her to journal anonymously and guided her through breathing exercises that gradually helped her regain a sense of control. For Thandi, Wysa became a quiet and consistent companion in the storm.
Her story is not unique. Across South African universities, students silently navigate emotional disconnection, digital fatigue, and the psychological toll of systemic inequality. While digital tools like Wysa are not a substitute for human interaction, they can serve as a critical first point of support, particularly for students who may feel too vulnerable or stigmatised to seek help in traditional ways.
It was within this urgent and complex landscape that UWC hosted the second national Mental Health and Well-being Colloquium on 26–27 June 2025. Held under the theme “Building Resilient Campuses: Advancing Mental Well-Being Through Inclusivity, Innovation, and Collaboration,” the colloquium brought together representatives from 18 higher education institutions across South Africa to reflect on, reimagine, and recommit to the collective task of supporting student mental health.
From the outset, the colloquium was a call to action, one that recognised the limits of fragmented interventions and emphasised the need for institutional systems that are culturally grounded, student-centred and ethically informed.
In her opening address, Prof Matete Madiba, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Student Development and Support, set the tone for the gathering by reflecting on UWC’s integrated strategy for mental health and wellness. She described how UWC’s model links professional counselling, trauma-informed teaching, peer support, residential life and digital innovation, positioning mental health treatment not as an isolated service but as a thread woven into every aspect of the student experience. UWC’s Wysa chatbot, she noted, is part of a broader vision of responsive, technology-assisted care that respects student dignity, privacy and cultural context.
Adding depth and perspective to the opening day’s dialogue was keynote speaker Dr Becky Inkster, a Cambridge-based neuroscientist and advisor on AI and ethics. Her presentation, “Mind, Machine, and Meaning,” explored the promise and peril of artificial intelligence in mental health spaces. Dr Inkster cautioned against an unchecked rush toward digital tools and urged the sector to ground innovation in compassion, ethics and inclusivity. While praising Wysa’s thoughtful and therapist-informed design, she reinforced the irreplaceable role of human presence in the emotional and mental development of young adults.
The second day of the colloquium continued with equal energy and insight, anchored by a compelling keynote address from Prof Anita Padmanabhanunni, Dean of the Faculty of Community and Health Sciences at UWC. Her presentation interrogated the paradox of modern student mental health: despite the widespread psychological distress on campuses, only a small fraction of students actively seek help. Critiquing deficit-based, pathology-focused mental health models, Prof. Padmanabhanunni advocated for a salutogenic approach, one that shifts attention toward internal strengths like resilience, fortitude and coherence.
Drawing on empirical research with UWC students, she illustrated how protective factors can mediate the effects of trauma and adversity, particularly in socioeconomically constrained environments. Her address served as a powerful reminder that while digital tools can extend reach, they cannot replace the depth of human connection. She challenged institutions to craft mental health frameworks that address symptoms and actively nurture student agency, relationality and purpose.
Throughout the colloquium, delegates shared case studies and campus models that spoke to the realities of student life today, from emotional support animal programmes and peer education to art-based therapy, decolonial trauma practices, and community-engaged interventions. These exchanges were deeply resonant.
According to Naythan Keyster from CSSS, a delegate noted, the collaborative and transformative strategies that were presented were very informative, stating that the varied experiences of speakers in their engagements with internal and external stakeholders were insightful. He felt the conference to be an amalgamation of knowledge through integrated and provocative conversations about the mental health and well-being of our students.
The strength of the colloquium lay not only in its presentations but also in its spirit of solidarity. There was a collective recognition that no single institution can confront the mental health crisis alone.
UWC has committed to continuing this work by hosting ongoing sector-wide engagements through virtual forums, webinars and knowledge exchanges. These will focus on current and emerging challenges, ensuring that mental health remains an ongoing national dialogue, not a once-off discussion.
The UWC Mental Health and Well-being Colloquium 2025 affirmed that student wellness is no longer a support function; it is a core institutional responsibility. And while the challenges are many, the shared commitment to respond, rooted in care, courage, and collaboration, is what will continue to drive the sector forward.
