Student perspectives on student mental health data practices in post-secondary settings: toward an inclusive, transparent, and engaging framework

OBJECTIVE: Post-secondary institutions increasingly rely on large-scale mental health surveys to inform policy and resource allocation, yet low engagement raises questions about these surveys as institutional data practices. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: Using qualitative descriptive design informed by reflexive thematic analysis, six virtual focus groups were conducted with 70 undergraduate and graduate students from eight Canadian post-secondary institutions who reflected on experiences with mental health surveys. RESULTS: Four interconnected themes emerged: (1) capturing diverse and evolving student experiences; (2) ensuring confidentiality, safety, and transparency, (3) fostering collaboration, reciprocity, and accountability, and (4) using student-centered engagement strategies. Through interpretive analysis, these findings informed preliminary student-informed framework positioning surveys as relational and iterative processes embedded within systems of trust, governance, and accountability. CONCLUSIONS: Students perceived mental health surveys as valuable but often impersonal or extractive when relevance, transparency, and follow-through were limited. These findings informed a proposed framework for future implementation and evaluation.