Performance pressure, high expectations, and social media are widely recognised as major influences on students' mental well-being. However, Sybren Slimmen discovered that much remains unknown about what genuinely supports young adults and the risks they face.
Slimmen, a researcher at HZ’s Healthy Region research group, is pursuing his PhD at the Open University, focusing on young adults' mental health. We interviewed him about his research and how its findings offer insights for HZ.
Surprisingly, mental health was not always Slimmen’s primary focus. After studying Sports Science at HZ and completing a master’s degree at Maastricht University, he had a completely different career path in mind. "I always wanted to join the military,” he smiles. That dream faded when he was unable to enrol in officer training due to a peanut allergy. “It was a mental setback,” he admits. Eventually, he found a new calling: research. During his graduation internship - on the effects of outdoor play on children with ADHD - he joined the Healthy Region research group. This experience made him realise how research can improve lives.
While studying for his master’s degree in Health Education & Promotion in Maastricht, he continued working part-time for the research group. Over time, he developed from a project assistant into a full-fledged researcher. His work has increasingly focused on health, prevention, and lifestyle research. Slimmen also teaches, engaging with students through lifelong learning (LLO) courses and delivering lectures in the Vital Society minor. His interactions with students provide valuable insights into their daily struggles. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the impact of reduced social contact on students' well-being, inspiring him to explore how social environments influence mental health.
"At the micro level, close to the individual, family and friends play a role in well-being"
Social environment
In his first PhD study, Slimmen examined ‘coping’ - the ability to handle study related stress - and how social environments influence coping mechanisms. His systematic review on these influencing factors was recently published in Social Sciences & Humanities, titled A Socio-Ecological Approach to Associations Between Social Environmental Factors and Mental Health Outcomes in Young Adults.
That study laid the foundation for understanding the complex nature of young adults' social environments. To interpret this complexity, Slimmen used a socio-ecological model that describes how different environmental levels - individual, micro, meso, and macro - affect behaviour and well-being through interactions between individuals and their social surroundings. "At the micro level, close to the individual, family and friends play a role in well-being,” Slimmen explains. “Someone with strong relationships and a high degree of perceived support can manage stress better.” At the meso level, he found that the social climate in environments such as schools is crucial. A respectful and positive atmosphere significantly impacts well-being. Finally, at the macro level, legislation and cultural norms come into play.
Positive atmosphere
Slimmen discovered that much research focuses on the micro-level: relationships and social skills in relation to health outcomes. This includes social skills, as well as reciprocity and trust in others; the higher these are, the easier it is for someone to receive support from their environment. The effects on the meso-level are harder to demonstrate but are just as interesting. “The social climate appears to be a strong factor. A positive atmosphere enhances well-being, whereas a tense climate can act as a risk factor.” According to Slimmen, this insight also highlights the importance of maintaining a healthy social atmosphere within the university of applied sciences environment.
His research led to a surprising finding about social media: “It is often said that social media are bad for mental health, but the reality is more nuanced. Some studies find negative effects, but there are also studies that show no effect at all, or even positive effects.” This indicates that there are no straightforward answers—the impact of social media depends on context and individual circumstances.
"What do we offer? What kind of atmosphere do we create?"
Big spreadsheets
In his systematic review, he included 43 studies and identified over 280 connections between social environmental factors and mental health. “It was a labour of love,” Slimmen says with a smile. “A lot of tables, big spreadsheets, getting to grips with AI, and working in a very structured way.” Thanks to this thorough approach and many late nights, he gathered crucial data that form the basis for further studies. One new article - examining the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on coping styles and mental health in young adults using longitudinal research - is currently under review for publication. Another article, which explores how the social environment at the meso-level (social cohesion, community integration, institutional structures) affects young adults’ mental health, is set to be published in mid-2025. He is ahead of schedule and hopes to obtain his PhD in 2026.
Practical applications for HZ
Slimmen’s PhD research has both direct and indirect value for HZ as a knowledge institution. A key theme is that much depends on preparation, both for students and lecturers. “You can’t just change a university environment overnight, and a student’s experience is, of course, highly personal. However, from the moment students set foot here, we can ask them what they need. We can also train them in adaptive coping styles and clarify what we, as a university, expect from them in this regard. Additionally, it is crucial to ensure that the atmosphere within degree programmes remains positive. And more broadly, we need to guarantee access to study career coaching for all students.”
Slimmen wants to emphasise that these factors operate on multiple levels: “What do we offer? What kind of atmosphere do we create? And how does the student experience it? We must continue to monitor this.” At the same time, there are no guarantees. “We cannot promise that a pleasant atmosphere will necessarily lead to more friendships forming or a stronger student network. That is beyond our control. It happens as it happens.”
His expertise is utilised across multiple layers within the university. Slimmen collaborates with the Student Success Centre (SSC) and contributes to various projects related to student well-being. He provides an example: “We train student buddies, and in that training, I incorporate insights from my research. The SCC aims to build a community where peer-to-peer support is key. This way, students develop skills to manage everyday stress and social relationships more effectively.”
