Supporting student well-being: insights from a faculty mental health literacy survey at an Indian higher education institute

Introduction: The university transition heightens student mental health risks. Faculty are key to student well-being, yet their preparedness is understudied, especially in India, where support systems are evolving. This study assessed mental health literacy among faculty at an Indian higher education institute to address this critical gap and inform necessary training interventions. Theory: This study is grounded on the Mental Health Literacy (MHL) theoretical framework for assessing faculty knowledge, beliefs, and supportive practices. Methods: A cross-sectional survey involving 207 faculty members explored the knowledge, skills, and confidence levels in providing adequate support to students with mental health issues. Results: In total, 45% of the faculty felt unprepared to support students. Appropriate training was identified as being potentially beneficial. Discussion: The survey findings reveal that only 16% of total respondents who had received some form of prior training on mental health possessed adequate knowledge in identifying students in distress, skills in initiating conversations with such students, and confidence in offering appropriate support, which is consistently higher than that of faculty without training.