University bids to improve mental health through app

Bath Spa University is trying to improve students’ mental health in an innovative way.

The university is supporting Fika - an app that promotes regular “emotional exercise” for students’ attainment, employability and wellbeing.

Bath Spa University, which has around 8,000 students and staff, puts student wellbeing at the core of its focus.

The university will pilot Fika’s emotional fitness app, as well as participate in its threeyear study into the efficacy of regular emotional exercise.

Fika offers five-minute emotional exercises designed to help students build their resilience, confidence, empathy, listening skills and positive thinking.

Fika is designed for students to use on their own, face to face with their friends, or in multi-user ‘pods,’ where peer groups can support and motivate each other.

The app aims to help students stay calm under pressure, focused on their goals and to be adaptable and accepting of what comes their way. The app draws on positive psychology and sports psychology as well as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), acceptance commitment therapy (ACT) and solution-focused therapy.

Sara Gallagher, head of student support at Bath Spa University, said: “We’ve always been proactive and progressive when it comes to student mental health at Bath Spa, and our attainment data shows this proactive approach really works.

“Fika offers something very different and refreshing: it’s highly inclusive, and it destigmatises mental health by using new language. We’re really excited to partner with Fika, and to experiment with all the different ways we can use it. We have very high hopes for Fika.”

Nick Bennett, co-founder & CEO of Fika, said: “We’re delighted to join forces with Bath Spa University in our mission to mainstream Emotional Fitness across the UK’S students. They are a fantastic university with an impressive track record for student wellbeing - we’re privileged to be working with them.”