Student survey: Health in focus – How are you, Braunschweig?

Student survey: Health in focus – How are you, Braunschweig?

On June 1, 2025, the Department of Studies and Teaching at the Technical University (TU) Braunschweig will launch a new health survey entitled “How are you?”. This initiative aims to record students' personal study situations and their impact on health and well-being. The continuous improvement of study conditions is a central concern of the TU Braunschweig, which is driven, among other things, by the results of previous surveys, such as the one from the summer semester of 2022. This led to a comprehensive catalog of measures aimed at sustainably improving study conditions.

The current survey takes into account important aspects such as the return to face-to-face operations after the corona pandemic, the promotion of diverse campus life and the creation of an attractive learning environment. Another goal is to strengthen the community and active campus culture through university-wide events. In order to promote the compatibility of family, work and studies, the HEALTH4YOU program is offered, which provides health-promoting offers for students. In addition, the expansion of health services and the reduction of psychological stress are important priorities, which are supported, among other things, by the psychosocial counseling center and a health week.

Long-term surveys and their importance

The new student survey in Germany brings together three long-established surveys: the social survey, which has been carried out since 1951, the student survey, which has existed since 1982, and the survey on studying with a health impairment, which has been an integral part of student research since 2012. This data is crucial for higher education education monitoring in Germany and is included in various reports and scientific publications. The number of participants in the last social survey was 188,000, and the results of the 2022 social survey were published in May 2023.

The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) has initiated monitoring for students with health impairments since 2012. The data has been collected as part of the student survey since 2021, with the third report in this context being published in December 2023.

Mental health as a central issue

Student mental health is an increasingly concerning issue, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. A comprehensive analysis carried out as part of the “Survey on study conditions and (mental) health at universities – StudiBiFra” project revealed alarming results. Of 20,060 students surveyed, 36.4% said they were often or almost always worried about their health. In addition, 39.0% reported that they could no longer be as happy as before, and 32.0% often or almost always felt sad.

The identification of vulnerable groups showed that female and diverse people, as well as students beyond the first year of study and older students over 25 years of age, are particularly affected by psychological problems. Around a third to half of the students reported limitations in their psychological well-being. The researchers therefore recommend that health promotion and prevention should particularly focus on these vulnerable groups.

Overall, it is clear that a comprehensive consideration of the study conditions and their influence on the psychological well-being of students is essential. The aim of the upcoming surveys and the consistent evaluation of the data is to achieve a positive development in the students' study and life situation.

Further information about ongoing initiatives and surveys can be found on the website TU Braunschweig, BMBF as well as PMC.