Because we live in a fast-changing society, we structurally monitor student wellbeing through large-scale surveys. Not as a to capture a single moment, but as an ongoing process. We do this via our own EUR Student Wellbeing Monitor, and by participating in the national Monitor on Mental Health and Substance Use amongst Students (MMMS), conducted by RIVM and the Trimbos Institute.
The outcomes help us act on the right things: we see which themes are emerging, which groups need extra attention, and how Rotterdam students compare to students elsewhere in the Netherlands. This ensures our offer matches student needs, and informs both university and national policy.
EUR Student Wellbeing Monitor
The EUR Student Wellbeing Monitor has run since 2020 and takes place every two years. It tracks students’ health, wellbeing, substance use, and academic experience.
Results consistently show that mental wellbeing is a structural area of concern. Stress, anxiety, and burnout symptoms are common, influenced by academic pressure, financial worries and practical challenges. Feelings of loneliness are widespread, and substance use has increased since 2020. Some groups of students appear more vulnerable than others, though they are also overrepresented in the data.
We translate these findings into action. Because loneliness and a high threshold for seeking help are recurring themes, we have invested in accessible meeting spaces and straightforward routes to support, such as the Living Room, the online Student Support Overview (available on MyEUR), and the Student Wellbeing Week. We also focus on prevention through programmes like ROOM and embed wellbeing in policy and education, including staff training focused on student wellbeing as one example.
National Wellbeing Monitor
We also participate every two years in the national Monitor on Mental Health and Substance Use amongst Students (MMMS), conducted by RIVM, GGD GHOR Netherlands, and the Trimbos Institute, alongside other Dutch universities and universities of applied sciences.
The main added value is benchmarking. We can compare EUR students with national averages. For instance, substance use is higher than average, whilst mental health outcomes are relatively better.
This comparison is valuable: it helps us identify where we as an institution are making a real difference, and where national collaboration or policy changes are needed. The MMMS findings complement our own monitor, together providing a broad and coherent picture of student wellbeing over time.