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Mental health is not simply the absence of psychological problems any more than physical health is the absence of disease. This chapter explores various aspects of optimal mental health and wellbeing among college students. It examines the question of what is required for college students to both feel their best and function at or near their highest levels. It also discusses the characteristics of peak mental health, including its transient nature. Predictive factors such as exercise, diet, sleep and social connection will be explored. Regarding the features of optimal wellbeing, the following variables are described: integrity, values, mindfulness, self-compassion, flow and resilience. These variables are considered in an integrated fashion as components, as well as byproducts, of wellness. Hettler’s multidimensional model of wellness is presented at the outset of the chapter, followed by Keyes’ theory of flourishing.

Flatter organisational structures and nonlinear career trajectories mean intrinsic value and subjective career success are increasingly important for motivating, guiding and rewarding contemporary workers. While objective measures of career success have been well explored, more research is needed to understand the dimensions of subjective career success, their relative importance to graduates and potential variations by personal factors. This is critical for supporting graduates’ transition into work and for organisations to attract and retain graduates amid global talent shortages.

Building on assertions of the power to understand how what one seeks in a career affects career achievement, this study investigated the importance and achievement of subjective career success among 324 recent graduates from two Australian universities.

Results include a notable emphasis on financial security and work-life balance, particularly among mature individuals, underscoring the value of adaptable work arrangements. Results suggest shifting priorities, with reduced importance placed on opportunities for innovation and assisting others, potentially indicating a move from collective to more individualised goals. Distinct graduate profiles emerged, showcasing diverse priorities and achievements in subjective career success, spanning from “humanistic” to “self-made” success.

Results underscore the significance of higher education embedding program-wide career development plans across the curriculum, including value-based assessments, labour market analyses and career planning and review processes. Comprehensively supporting students in career development will empower them to explore, understand and actively pursue their career goals in alignment with their values and motivations, enhancing their person-organisation fit, career satisfaction and organisational commitment.

The purpose of this paper was to establish how the phenomenon of mental health issues among young people has translated into the reality of Irish schools through the lens of Irish teachers.

This wholly qualitative study adopted a post-positivist and phenomenological approach to gathering data by way of semi-structured interviews of 16 participants, 8 from primary backgrounds and 8 from post-primary backgrounds. Analysis of the data highlighted what teachers perceive to be ongoing issues with the mental health and well-being of pupils and the challenges that both teachers and pupils must overcome.

Interviewing the participants unearthed three sub-themes with regard to mental health in Irish schools, namely, the prevalence of psychiatric disorders/symptoms of mental ill-health among Irish children and adolescents, the barriers preventing help-seeking and the role of mental health support services in Irish schools.

One limitation in this study was that a wider variety in sample could have yielded a more in-depth volume of results. Furthermore, the study by semi-structured interview presented challenges, such as the use of other people’s viewpoints to support the perceptions of the participants, which could not be validated.

Among the recommendations made by the participants were that schools engage in policy development to combat mental health and well-being issues, that teachers engage in continuous professional development in the area and that mental health support services are sufficiently staffed and funded.

The general public should engage more in activities that promote a healthy dialogue around the topic of mental health to reduce stigma. It is recommended that campaigns to raise awareness are continued and bolstered.

Irish teachers are being confronted by a contemporary discourse that has materialised as a by-product of an evolving society. Cultural development has led to increased focus on mental health and well-being in recent years, with this body of research exploring its emergence into school life from teachers’ perspectives.