Student Mental Health Agreement (SMHA) Project
What is it?
The Student Mental Health Agreement (SMHA) Project supports colleges, universities and students’ associations across Scotland to develop a clear, coordinated and student‑centred approach to mental health and wellbeing. It brings together all of an institution’s mental health and wellbeing activity into one accessible document, helping them identify what is working well and where improvements can be made.
Each SMHA is rooted in co‑production. Students are central to shaping priorities, influencing commitments and ensuring the final agreement reflects their lived experience. This approach strengthens transparency, links activity to wider strategic goals and helps measure progress over time.
Who is involved?
The Think Positive programme works with and supports 89% of all colleges, universities and students’ associations in Scotland to promote and develop their mental health support offer through the Student Mental Health Agreement project.
Why take take part?
The latest 2024–25 feedback demonstrates the SMHA Project’s strong impact across the sector:
- 92% of project participants said student feedback shaped their support offer.
- 92% said taking part improved the partnership between the Students’ Association and the institution, supporting better collaboration and clearer prioritisation of student mental health.
- 83% said their mental health work developed as a result of taking part in the SMHA project.
- 71% of institutions reported improved links with external organisations, strengthening the referral pathways and widening the support available to students.
Collectively, these findings show that the SMHA Project strengthens relationships, improves practice and supports more meaningful student involvement in shaping mental health support.
Why SMHAs matter
The SMHA Project helps institutions to:
- Bring their mental health activity into one coordinated and transparent framework
- Embed student voice at the centre of decision‑making
- Identify strengths and areas for improvement
- Demonstrate progress clearly
- Strengthen the partnership between students’ associations and staff teams.
By supporting institutions to learn from each other, share resources and evaluate their work, the SMHA contributes to a more consistent, connected and student‑focused mental health support sector across Scotland.
How we support institutions
The Think Positive programme provides a comprehensive package of free, Scottish Government funded support to help institutions in Scotland create, deliver and evaluate their SMHA. This includes:
- 1:1 consultancy support through video, email or phone.
- Tools and resources to draft, monitor, launch and review SMHAs.
- Written feedback on draft agreements.
- Support with evaluation, including setting clear success measures.
- Scotland-wide online peer support network, where project leaders meet to discuss the opportunities and challenges they face and share their work.
All support is provided at no cost to colleges, universities and students’ associations across Scotland.
