Keele Research Repository

This paper explores how sense of belonging impacts mental wellbeing and stress in students of law and psychology in an English University. A questionnaire exploring undergraduate students’ sense of belonging, stress and wellbeing was conducted between December and February of the academic year with Year 2 and 3 students. The questionnaire was made available to all undergraduate cohorts studying law or psychology. A total of 95 undergraduate students across both subject schools responded, with a split of 46 law students and 49 psychology students. The results of the questionnaire suggested that a sense of belonging predicted higher levels of mental wellbeing and lower levels of stress. Law students had a lower sense of belonging and wellbeing than psychology students, but both showed similar levels of stress. The results suggest that community-based approaches at school level may be a good way to promote positive mental wellbeing in students and that this approach may need to be tailored towards different academic schools.