Student Health as a Market

The ways schools manage increasing mental health problems have enormous repercussions for pupils, families, schools and the society.

Unfortunately, schools have difficulties to organise health promotion and prevention of problems such as bullying, absenteeism and poor school results, all connected to students’ poor mental health outcomes. Within this context, there are many commercial actors that offer their services.

This project aims to explore and analyse practices whereby commercial resources within the field of student health (SH) are sold, bought and used and the consequences of such practices for schools’ SH work.

The project draws on several research methods: internet and documentary searches, interviews, and fieldwork observations.

During the first year, we examine the rationales provided by governing bodies of schools and schools, private and municipal, for using commercial resources in SH, what criteria they use for the selection of providers, and procurement processes. The second year, we examine how different types of commercial SH suppliers organise activities and contribute to SH.

In year 3, we examine partnerships between commercial actors and schools through three in depth case studies. Year four finalises data collection and the results are synthetized.

The project contributes knowledge about drivers of commercialisation and its consequences for SH, professionals, students and caregivers, and the equivalence of SH.