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Bitesize research series highlights promising wellbeing interventions in schools

Researchers have highlighted some of the most promising pathways to improving wellbeing in schools in a new series of bitesize research reports.

An interdisciplinary team from the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford, in partnership with the IB, have published a set of resources on five important wellbeing themes for students, teachers, and schools. The topics covered include:

  • Online interventions;
  • Peer relations (bullying);
  • Physical activity;
  • Teacher wellbeing;
  • And a whole school approach to wellbeing.

Researchers examined hundreds of peer-reviewed studies of wellbeing support in schools in order to identify some of the most promising evidence-based interventions.

While there is no one-size-fits-all approach to improving wellbeing in schools, the team have highlighted interventions which have been shown to boost levels of wellbeing in specific circumstances. They range from large-scale interventions trialled across countries, to smaller actions rolled out at a more local scale.

Resources are available both in a summary format (in English, French, and Spanish) and, for readers seeking further insight, as a number of detailed literature reviews (in English). An overview poster with key findings from all five reports, suitable for display in the classroom, is also available to download in English, French, and Spanish.

The mini reports serve as companion resources to two Wellbeing Research Centre reports previously published in partnership with the IB: Wellbeing in Education in Childhood and Adolescence (2022), and Wellbeing for Schoolteachers (2024).

Dr Laura Taylor, Deputy Director of the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford, said: “Each child and each school environment is unique, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to improving wellbeing in schools. We highlight how school leaders can use research evidence, alongside crucial elements like staff and student voice activities, in order to support the wellbeing of their school community.”

All five research reports, plus further resources for schools, can be found at wellbeing.hmc.ox.ac.uk/schools.

2025 Annual Report published by Wellbeing Research Centre

Human-centred approach essential in digital transformation of strained NHS mental health provision, say researchers

Adopting a human-centred approach pioneered in computer science and engineering can support the expansion of mental health provision in the UK, according to new research published in the journal JMIR Human Factors.

Researchers from the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford, the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration East of England at the University of Cambridge, University of East Anglia, and the University of Hertfordshire, reviewed existing evidence of human-centred design and digital transformation in the context of the NHS’s strained mental health provision.

The UK is not alone in facing growing demands for assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of mental health conditions. Increased waiting lists and prolonged referral times suggest funding and infrastructure are struggling to keep up with demand.

Digital transformation of the NHS and other linked services (both public and private sector) has long been touted as a solution to many of these problems.

The concept of human-centred design originated in the fields of computer science, engineering and ergonomics and is defined in this context by the authors as:

“a practical, iterative approach to the design, development and reform of mental health systems, services and products that is achieved through communication, interaction and empathy with users’ needs, desires and experiences”

Adopting such principles is designed to guide value and wellbeing creation in the delivery of products, systems, and services.

Using a human-centred approach in the design of new and existing digital mental health services could, according to the authors, enable greater responsiveness to patient needs and therefore improve patient outcomes.

The authors also highlight four specific UK policy recommendations:

  • Replace the digital transformation directorate currently within NHS England with an independent, cross-departmental digital transformation commission;
  • Further development of standardised processes and impact evaluation methods;
  • Creation of new national-level standards to better connect NHS mental health services with other government departments;
  • And explore the possibility of expanding human-centred design principles in further policy settings at both local and national levels.

Dr William Fleming, a Research Fellow at the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford, and corresponding author of the new paper, said: “The digital transformation of our health services is already happening in a race to meet demand. But we can’t just assume the right answer is digital. We need any change to include the individuals who rely on these services as well as those who work to provide them.”

Diane Pochard, a co-author on the paper and, at the time of writing, a digital transformation lead within the Department for Health and Social Care, added: “Years of stretched capacity, rising demand, constant reorganisations, chronic underfunding and funding volatility have left our healthcare system in perpetual recovery mode with users’ needs lost in translation.

“As we are rushing to implement AI across frontline services we must apply the lessons learned from past digital transformation efforts – particularly the critical importance of user-centeredness. We cannot tech our way out of our dysfunctional system. The solution isn’t more technology, but a system where we consistently prioritise user value and where technology is an enabler.”

‘Human-Centered Design and Digital Transformation of Mental Health Services’ is published in the journal JMIR Human Factors.

Comparability in wellbeing scales

Prof Chris Barrington-Leigh (McGill) shared findings from a comparison of multiple international wellbeing scales at the latest of the Wellbeing Research Centre’s Seminar Series.

His research examines the comparability of various global datasets as well as the issue of focal values in subjective responses.

Watch the full presentation on the Centre’s YouTube channel.

Oxford MBA students explore the science behind wellbeing in a pioneering new elective

The impact of employee volunteering

Dr Florencio Portocarrero (LSE) presented findings from a field experiment on employee volunteering at the latest of the Wellbeing Research Centre’s Seminar Series.

He examined the knock-on effects of an employee volunteering intervention on both levels of wellbeing as well as other indicators of company performance, including levels of employee engagement and retention.

Watch the full presentation on the Centre’s YouTube channel.

Wellbeing in small-scale societies

Prof Victoria Reyes García (Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies) shared findings on subjective wellbeing among small-scale societies at the latest of the Wellbeing Research Centre’s Seminar Series.

Her work examines the levels of, and factors to support, life satisfaction and other measures of subjective wellbeing among indigenous peoples and local communities across 19 globally distributed sites.

Watch the full presentation on the Centre’s YouTube channel.

Improving subjective scales

Prof Daniel J. Benjamin (UCLA) shared findings on techniques to improve subjective scales at the latest of the Wellbeing Research Centre’s Seminar Series.

His work, presented under the title ‘Adjusting for Scale-Use Heterogeneity on Subjective Scales’, tests multiple techniques on fine-tuning the validity and reliability of subjective scales, such as those used to measure wellbeing.

Watch the full presentation on the Centre’s YouTube channel.

Wellbeing Research Centre welcomes leading sustainable wellbeing scholars

In partnership with Reapra, the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford has welcomed a pair of world-class researchers to spearhead its emerging research stream in sustainable wellbeing.

Paul Behrens (Reapra Senior Research Fellow) and Annegeke Jansen (Reapra Research Associate) join the Centre’s team of interdisciplinary researchers to examine long-term questions around human wellbeing and environmental sustainability.

Their appointments are supported by Asia-based venture builder and investment group Reapra, whose mission is to co-create industries for the betterment of society through research and practice.

Paul Behrens is the British Academy Global Professor at the Oxford Martin School, whose research focuses on the environmental and social impacts of large-scale food system transformation. He is also the author of the popular science book, The Best of Times, The Worst of Times: Futures from the Frontiers of Climate Science (Indigo Press, 2021) and winner of the inaugural Frontiers Planet Prize.

Annegeke Jansen is currently a PhD candidate at Leiden University, focusing on the measurement of sustainable and inclusive wellbeing as part of the WISE Horizons project. In addition, she investigates determinants and historical developments related to wellbeing.

The pair have previously collaborated on major contributions to the Beyond GDP movement, published in The Lancet Planetary Health and Nature Scientific Data.

“It is critical to turn our attention to the notion of sustainable wellbeing.”

Paul Behrens, Reapra Senior Research Fellow, said: “I’m delighted to be collaborating at the critical intersection of human wellbeing and environmental sustainability. It is essential that we work towards improving wellbeing while both reducing our environmental impacts and dealing with environmental damage. Interdisciplinary collaboration with the Centre’s diverse, world-leading team is incredibly exciting.”

Annegeke Jansen, Reapra Research Associate, said: “I’m excited to join the Wellbeing Research Centre to explore the deep connections between human wellbeing and environmental sustainability. In a world facing ecological breakdown and growing inequalities, it’s crucial to rethink what truly supports flourishing lives—now and in the future. I look forward to working with the Centre’s interdisciplinary team and learning from their renowned expertise in wellbeing research.”

Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, Professor of Economics and Behavioural Science at Saïd Business School, Oxford, and Director of the Wellbeing Research Centre, said: “With the appointment of Paul and Annegeke we gain the expertise of two leading scholars who are building bridges between the academic fields focussed on sustainability and subjective wellbeing. If our aim is to advance the wellbeing of current and future generations then it is critical to turn our attention to the notion of sustainable wellbeing.

“We are tremendously grateful to our like-minded colleagues at Reapra who have made these fellowships possible and we look forward to our partnership generating tangible insights that will hopefully underpin policy action in due course.”

Laura Lynn Lee, Growth & Wellbeing Catalyst at Reapra, said: “This is indeed an exciting time for Reapra as we welcome Paul and Annegeke to our research and practice community. We look forward to learning together with them and Jan’s team at the Wellbeing Research Centre as we co-create Reapra’s vision of long-term wellbeing for the next generation.”

Why Workplace Wellbeing Matters published by HBR Press