ACTivateWellness: Enhancing Resilience and Well-Being Through Acceptance and Commitment Training for University Students

In response to rising mental health pressures among university students across Europe, the project aims to shift from reactive support to a scalable, preventative Active-Commitment-Theory (ACT)-based model within higher education. It seeks to strengthen resilience, reduce escalation of mental health difficulties and dropout risk, and embed sustainable, inclusive, evidence-based wellbeing strategies within institutional systems to ensure long-term impact, equitable student participation and academic success. 

With 10 partners across 10 countries representing over 85,000 students, the project will design and deliver the ACT curriculum, preparing 20–30 facilitators across partner institutions, and will pilot a 4-hour ACT intervention with 450–675 students. Implementation will be monitored through pre- and post-intervention surveys and facilitator feedback, supporting quality and sustainable embedding. A feasibility study will assess scalability, and CPD accreditation ensures professional recognition. 

The project will deliver a validated 27-hour ACT curriculum (1 ECTS), train staff and student facilitators to implement a 4-hour preventive intervention, and produce open-access materials available for at least five years. Expected outcomes include strengthened student resilience, earlier coping, reduced escalation of mental health difficulties, and institutional integration of sustainable, transferable and scalable wellbeing strategies across European higher education systems.