StudyWell brings together researchers, students and employees from three study programs, student organizations and municipal services in both Trondheim and Gjøvik. The project takes an innovative approach to the betterment of students' mental health through the combination of relational welfare and service design. 

Service design provides the framework for proposing strategic interventions. Through this framework, the StudyWell project is able to prioritize four strategic areas: the individual, the community, the systems and the future. Relational welfare provides the theories and perspectives for addressing chronic problems such as mental health from a societal perspective. 

The project aspires to strength the study environment's roll and enable it to become an arena to improve students' mental health. Service design will contribute to the creation of a better study environment by identifying stress factors and best practices. 

StudyWell will also map the existing services and recommend new strategic interventions to ensure that students receive the help they might need. Through collaboration with NTNU, Sit, Velferdstinget, Trondheim municipality, Gjøvik municipality and other partners, StudyWell will be both developing and testing measures that will improve students' health and well-being. 

StudyWell PhD Defence

Arnfrid Farbu Pinto (Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences and a member of the StudyWell team) will give her trial lecture and defend her doctoral thesis, “Student Well-being as a Relational Process. Everyday Interactions, Relational Practices and Institutional Conditions in Higher Education”, on 3 September 2026.

The thesis presents a qualitative research project exploring the relational and institutional factors that shape students’ experiences in higher education, and how the interplay between these factors influences their well-being. Rather than understanding well-being as the absence of mental health problems or as an individual responsibility, the study approaches well-being as an ongoing relational process that unfolds in students’ everyday study lives.

Find all details about the PhD defence here.

Publications
 

Published scientific articles

• Nielsen, Brita Fladvad; Reed, Nina Petersen; Ness, Ottar; Bjerck, Mari Eyde; Pinto, Arnfrid Farbu; Memet, Ipar Ehet; Lineer, Katie Aurora. (2024). StudyWell: a co-design project for enhancing student mental health and wellbeing through service design and relational welfare. Proceedings of the Design Society
   
• Pinto, Arnfrid Marie Farbu; Mjøen, Odd Morten; Reed, Nina Petersen. (2024). Beyond the first week: sustaining the feeling of social inclusion and sense of belonging for students. International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being.

Scientific presentations

• Memet, Ipar Ehet. (2024). Understanding the dynamics between educator and learner with the didactic triangle. 6th Annual PaTHES Conference - Higher Education Brought To Life, Trondheim 2024.
   
• Pinto, Arnfrid Farbu; Pinto, Duarte Nuno Farbu; Mjøen, Odd Morten; Reed, Nina Petersen. (2024). Positive Interactions and Supportive Learning Environments: Keys to Enhanced Student Engagement. Conference proceedings: The Future of Education

Workshops

• Pinto, Arnfrid Farbu; Lineer, Katie Aurora; Memet, Ipar. (2023). Workshop: Hvor går grensen for tilrettelegging i akademia? NTNU Universitetet for alle, Trondheim 2023.

Other

• Lineer, Katie Aurora; Memet, Ipar Ehet; Pinto, Arnfrid Farbu. (2023). StudyWell poster. NTNU Health Conference, Trondheim 2023.
   

• Moe, Hanna Limstrand (Master thesis, 2024). Studenters psykiske helse og trivsel: En utforskende oppgave om hvordan tjenestedesign og samskaping kan bidra til økt trivsel blant studenter. .

• Kjøpstad, Joakim (Bachelor thesis, 2024). The Hub @ Gjøvik: A Service Design Approach to Improved University Student Experience and Wellbeing.

• Brekke, Kristein (Master thesis, 2023). StudyWell – samskaping og tjenestedesign for bedret studentvelferd.

• Kvassheim, Hedvig Bjørnsdatter (Master thesis, 2023). En systemorientert designtilnærming for å styrke studenters psykiske helse i studiemiljøet.