The mental health of university students has become a growing global concern. In Spain, for instance, only 38% of young people report feeling happy—a stark contrast to countries like the Netherlands, where that number reaches 74%. This emotional gap highlights the urgent need for effective, proactive solutions.

In response, we recently developed and tested an intervention program based on positive psychology aimed at boosting optimism and reducing symptoms of depression among first-year criminology and psychology students.

Building Emotional Strength Through Positive Practices

Over the course of 15 weeks, students engaged in simple yet meaningful activities as part of their academic schedule. These included daily reflections on three positive thoughts, identifying personal strengths, writing gratitude letters, and practicing mindfulness meditation.

These activities mirror the types of activities for couples to reconnect —practices rooted in appreciation, shared meaning, and emotional presence. Just as such activities can renew intimacy and strengthen romantic relationships, positive psychology tools can help students reconnect with themselves and their peers, building resilience and emotional insight.

The foundation of our approach lies in solid research. Positive psychology, championed by psychologist Martin Seligman in the late 1990s, focuses on cultivating strengths and enhancing life’s meaning. Numerous studies confirm its effectiveness in improving emotional well-being and academic performance among students.

Group Participation as a Catalyst

Our program, called Hallenges, was embedded directly into coursework, allowing entire student groups to participate together. This group-based approach is particularly effective during adolescence and early adulthood, where social bonds and a sense of belonging play a crucial role in mental health.

Group-based activities create a collective emotional experience, similar to joint practices in activities for couples to reconnect, where shared growth reinforces individual outcomes. Students benefited not just from the exercises themselves, but from the group dynamics that supported emotional openness and mutual support.

Tangible Benefits—and Some Limitations

Fifteen months later, we evaluated the program using validated psychometric tools. Results showed that students who participated reported a notable increase in optimism and a significant decrease in depressive symptoms compared to a control group.

However, the program did not lead to marked improvements in long-term goal perseverance—a trait known as “grit.” While emotional well-being can be nurtured relatively quickly, grit often requires longer, habit-focused interventions such as personal mentoring or structured goal-setting workshops.

Low-Cost, High-Impact—and Non-Stigmatizing

One of the strengths of interventions like Hallenges is their accessibility. They are low-cost, easy to implement, and free of stigma, encouraging participation among students who might otherwise avoid mental health programs. The same can be said of many activities for couples to reconnect, which often provide emotionally enriching experiences without requiring therapy or formal intervention.

Supporting Young Adults in a BANI World

We live in a world that feels increasingly unstable—a reality described by the “BANI” acronym (fragile, anxious, nonlinear, and incomprehensible), coined by futurist Jamais Cascio. This modern context creates new pressures, especially on younger generations.

Programs like Hallenges show that universities can play a key role in equipping students with emotional tools that foster resilience, optimism, and connection—resources as crucial for personal success as for academic achievement.

Still, more research is needed: future studies should explore diverse student populations, track long-term effects, and examine the role of variables like personality and digital behavior.

In the same way that activities for couples to reconnect provide structure and emotional grounding during turbulent times, emotional education at the university level can offer young adults the confidence and support they need to thrive.