BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam//NONSGML v1.0//EN NAME:PhD defence G.G. Cortez Vazquez METHOD:PUBLISH BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART:20260508T114500 DTEND:20260508T131500 DTSTAMP:20260508T114500 UID:2026/phd-defence-g-g-cortez-va@8F96275E-9F55-4B3F-A143-836282E12573 CREATED:20260503T195701 LOCATION:Hoofdgebouw, Aula De Boelelaan 1105 1081 HV Amsterdam SUMMARY:PhD defence G.G. Cortez Vazquez X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:

Crucial yet Overlooked?

No ‘one size fits all’: customization proves cru cial for students’ mental health

Half of students st ruggle with mental health issues

Approximately one in two students in the Netherlands experiences mental health problems, s uch as stress, anxiety, and depression. Particularly during the trans ition to higher education—a defining phase of life—these issues c an have major and long-lasting consequences. Yet the emphasis is stil l often on treatment, while prevention remains underexposed.

Co rtez Vázquez points to a key element: strengthening so-called soft s kills, such as managing stress, communicating effectively, and critic al thinking. Students who master these skills better prove to be more mentally resilient, perform better, and hold a stronger position in the labor market. Three layers of support tested

To bridge that gap, Cortez Vázquez investigated an innovative approach with three levels of guidance: a broad workshop focused on self-reflection, inte nsive training in social-emotional skills, and individual stress mana gement sessions including virtual reality and breathing techniques.

“The outcome is clear: there is no standard program that works for everyone. Students differ in background, motivation, and needs, and those differences largely determine the success of an interventio n,” says Cortez Vázquez.

Voluntary participation and guidance make the difference

One of the most striking findings is that the context is at least as important as the content . Students who participate voluntarily get significantly more out of the programs than students who feel obligated. In addition, the role of the supervisor plays a key part: a safe learning environment prove s essential for actually developing skills. It also appears that one- off workshops have hardly any effect in the long term. Sustainable de velopment requires repetition, practice, and continuous guidance. Fro m standalone training to structural education

Universities face the challenge of structurally improving student well-being, and this research makes it clear that isolated initiatives are insufficient. Soft skills must be systematically integrated into the curriculum, wi th room for customization and freedom of choice. That movement has al ready begun. For instance, the insights from the research have been i ncorporated into the revamped Bachelor of Health Sciences at Vrije Un iversiteit Amsterdam, where soft skills are now embedded in the curri culum over several years.

Not a miracle cure, but an im portant step

However, Cortez Vázquez adds an importan t caveat: soft skills alone do not solve the problem. Factors such as financial pressure, loneliness, and inequality also play a major rol e in student well-being and call for broader societal solutions. Her conclusion: “Investing in soft skills can be a powerful tool to mak e students more resilient, but only if education is willing to addres s that development seriously, structurally, and in a tailored manner. ”

More information on the thesis

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No ‘one size fits all’: customization pro ves crucial for students’ mental health

Research by h ealth scientist Gabriela Cortez Vázquez shows that personalization i s the right approach for soft skills programs. Further future researc h can possible help reduce stress and dropout rates in higher educati on, but only under the right conditions. Half of students str uggle with mental health issues Approximately one in two stu dents in the Netherlands experiences mental health problems, such as stress, anxiety, and depression. Particularly during the transition t o higher education—a defining phase of life—these issues can have major and long-lasting consequences. Yet the emphasis is still often on treatment, while prevention remains underexposed. Cortez Vázquez points to a key element: strengthening so-called soft skills, such a s managing stress, communicating effectively, and critical thinking. Students who master these skills better prove to be more mentally res ilient, perform better, and hold a stronger position in the labor mar ket. Three layers of support tested To bridge that gap, Cortez Vázqu ez investigated an innovative approach with three levels of guidance: a broad workshop focused on self-reflection, intensive training in s ocial-emotional skills, and individual stress management sessions inc luding virtual reality and breathing techniques. “The outcome is cl ear: there is no standard program that works for everyone. Students d iffer in background, motivation, and needs, and those differences lar gely determine the success of an intervention,” says Cortez Vázque z. Voluntary participation and guidance make the difference One of the most striking findings is that the context is at l east as important as the content. Students who participate voluntaril y get significantly more out of the programs than students who feel o bligated. In addition, the role of the supervisor plays a key part: a safe learning environment proves essential for actually developing s kills. It also appears that one-off workshops have hardly any effect in the long term. Sustainable development requires repetition, practi ce, and continuous guidance. From standalone training to structural e ducation Universities face the challenge of structurally improving st udent well-being, and this research makes it clear that isolated init iatives are insufficient. Soft skills must be systematically integrat ed into the curriculum, with room for customization and freedom of ch oice. That movement has already begun. For instance, the insights fro m the research have been incorporated into the revamped Bachelor of H ealth Sciences at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, where soft skills are now embedded in the curriculum over several years. Not a mir acle cure, but an important step However, Cortez Vázquez ad ds an important caveat: soft skills alone do not solve the problem. F actors such as financial pressure, loneliness, and inequality also pl ay a major role in student well-being and call for broader societal s olutions. Her conclusion: “Investing in soft skills can be a powerf ul tool to make students more resilient, but only if education is wil ling to address that development seriously, structurally, and in a ta ilored manner.” More information on the thesis Crucial yet Overlooked? END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR