Mental health support for staff and students

CUT provides comprehensive, accessible, and institutionally embedded mental health and wellbeing support for both students and staff through a combination of structured services, professional support mechanisms, and continuous awareness and capacity-building initiatives. Services are provided on-campus through dedicated support units, as well as through access to national healthcare systems and external professionals, ensuring equitable access for both students and staff across the University community.

Mental health support for students is primarily delivered through the Center of Student Development, which operates under the Studies and Student Affairs Department and offers free and confidential counselling services and self-development support to all actively enrolled students (BSc, MSc, PhD), covering undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral students across all faculties. The Center supports students in managing personal, academic, and social challenges, providing a safe environment for psychological empowerment and resilience building. Services include individual counselling, personal development workshops, and referrals to specialised professionals (psychologists, psychiatrists) through the General Healthcare System (GESY) and, where appropriate, the private sector. Services are easily accessible, confidential, and delivered in a safe and supportive environment.

The Center also delivers targeted workshops and awareness activities addressing key wellbeing topics. Indicatively, in 2025 these included:

  • Online workshop (in collaboration with the Career Office) supporting final-year students in preparing for practicum and transition to employment. More info here.
  • Workshop on navigating the transition from university to work life for graduating students.
  • Awareness and engagement activities in collaboration with the ADHD Association of Cyprus (September 2025). More info here.
  • Participation in the EUt+ “In-taboo” campaign, including short interviews aimed at understanding student learning profiles and promoting wellbeing and self-awareness (November 2025).
  • Contribution to external awareness initiatives, such as a presentation with the Anticancer Society of Cyprus on the role of psychology in promoting wellbeing (June 2025).

Further strengthening mental health awareness and reducing stigma, students- particularly from the Department of Nursing- actively engage in awareness and outreach initiatives as part of their academic training. These include:

  • Awareness campaign on postpartum depression focusing on early recognition, stigma reduction, and support for new mothers (May 2025). More info here.
  • Development of an awareness video on Alzheimer’s disease highlighting emotional needs and dignity of individuals with dementia (May 2025). More info here.
  • Conference on Mental Health Nursing for children, adolescents, and young adults promoting evidence- based approaches and early intervention (May 2025). More info here.
  • Scientific conference on dementia and Alzheimer’s disease (“Building a Care Society”) enhancing knowledge, public awareness, and caregiver support (September 2025). More info here.
  • World Mental Health Day awareness action promoting messages of hope and reducing stigma through public engagement (October 2025). More info here.

Mental health support for staff is ensured through a combination of institutional policies, access to healthcare services, and structured wellbeing initiatives. As part of the national General Healthcare System (GESY), staff have access to free public mental health services, including psychologists, psychiatrists, and community mental health centres. Additionally, through the staff union, employees benefit from complementary private health insurance providing access to private mental health professionals and psychotherapists.

At institutional level, CUT promotes staff wellbeing through policies such as the Code of Practice for the Prevention and Combating of Bullying and Harassment and the Work-from-Home Policy, supporting work- life balance and psychological wellbeing. Complementing these, the Human Resources Services (HRS) organise continuous professional development and wellbeing initiatives, with a strong focus on psychosocial wellbeing, emotional resilience, and workplace mental health.

Indicative staff wellbeing initiatives in 2025 include:

In addition, CUT promotes a supportive and inclusive academic environment through informal peer-support and dialogue initiatives such as the “Academic Refuge”, organised by the Learning Development Network (March 2025). This initiative provides a psychologically safe space for open dialogue, peer support, and stress relief, enabling academic staff, special teaching staff, and doctoral students to share concerns, exchange experiences, and discuss challenges in a non-formal setting, directly contributing to mental wellbeing and a supportive academic culture.

Overall, CUT adopts a holistic and multi-layered approach to mental health support, combining:

  • Free and confidential counselling services for students.
  • Access to public and private mental health services for staff.
  • Institutional policies supporting wellbeing and work-life balance.
  • Continuous awareness, training, and resilience-building initiatives.
  • Student-led and community-oriented mental health awareness actions.

This integrated framework ensures that mental health support is accessible, inclusive, and systematically embedded across the University, demonstrating CUT’s strong commitment to promoting wellbeing for both staff and students.

Evidence