Activities Aimed at Developing a Re-enrollment Support Program for Students on Leave Due to Mental Health Issues at Universities in the Health, Medical, and Welfare Fields

[Partner Schools]

　Teikyo University (Faculty of Medical Technology, Fukuoka)
　Kyushu University of Nursing and Welfare

[Purpose]

　The purpose of this study was to identify the anxieties and support needs regarding returning to school among students currently enrolled at the University of Health, Medical, and Welfare who are on leave of absence, as well as those who have previously taken a leave of absence, due to so-called mental health issues such as mental illness, difficulty adjusting to university life, or a decline in motivation to study.
While the number of students currently on leave or who have previously taken a leave of absence is small when viewed from the perspective of the entire university, it is expected that collaborating between the two universities will increase the sample size.Furthermore, by sharing information between universities and advancing project activities aimed at developing a re-enrollment support program, we expect to better identify trends among students who are more prone to mental health issues and strengthen the evidence base. This is why we decided to apply for this project.

[Major Collaborative Activities and Achievements]

　Starting in August 2025, we held a total of nine in-person or online meetings on a monthly basis. Through these regular meetings, we developed interview guides, standardized procedures, and conducted study sessions on support for returning to school. We also monitored progress and provided mutual feedback, striving to maintain consistency across all activities.
During the collaborative project period, we conducted semi-structured interviews and psychological tests using questionnaires with two students who had previously taken a leave of absence.The interviews revealed that students who had taken a leave of absence felt a significant barrier to approaching faculty members on their own or visiting the Health Management Center, and that they tended to hesitate to do so.
　This suggested the need to create opportunities for casual conversation rather than formal consultations on a daily basis, so that students can build trusting relationships with faculty members through ongoing communication.Furthermore, since some students struggle with communication, there was a desire for consultation options that go beyond face-to-face meetings, such as those utilizing web-based systems.
Overall, it became clear that there is a need for support that lowers the barriers to “asking for help” and “seeking advice,” even if only slightly.
We also visited a facility that provides support for university students returning to society and participated in exchange meetings and case study sessions with support professionals involved in disability support.

[Future Outlook]

　We believe that this grant has allowed us to gain some insight into the anxieties and support needs regarding the return to school among students who are currently on leave of absence or have previously taken a leave of absence due to mental health issues—an issue that has become a growing concern in recent years.
Since the study targeted students currently on leave of absence or those with a history of such leaves due to mental health issues, ethical review at each university was required, which took time to complete. However, by following the necessary procedures, we were able to proceed with caution while ensuring ethical consideration for the students.
　Since the number of students currently on leave or who have previously taken a leave of absence is small, we were only able to conduct interviews with two students this time. However, we intend to maintain the collaborative framework between the two universities, increase the number of interviews, accumulate and analyze data, and further enhance the reliability of our findings. We hope this will lead to the development of more effective student support and re-enrollment programs.
　Through the collaborative activities supported by this grant, exchanges between faculty members at both universities have become more active.We believe that by continuing to maintain this collaborative framework between the two universities, we can increase the number of faculty members interested in mental health, which in turn will contribute to human resource development in a broader sense. Furthermore, this collaboration has led to partnerships with facilities that actually assist students in reintegrating into society, enabling us to create an environment where we can explore better support systems and programs for students returning to school.