Title: Using engaging activities to enhance student mental wellness in introductory economics classes

Authors: Stefani Milovanska-Farrington; G. Dirk Mateer

Addresses: Department of Economics, The University of Tampa, ICB 205, USA ' Department of Economics, University of Texas at Austin, Room 3.102 B, USA

Abstract: Many college students experience symptoms of mental health challenges, with depression and anxiety being among the most common. These problems negatively affect academic performance (Brännlund et al., 2017) and overall health (Yang and Zikos, 2024). In the 2021 Healthy Minds Study, 41% of the participating students tested positive for depression, 34% suffered from anxiety, 12% had an eating disorder, 40% were diagnosed with a lifetime mental disorder, and 13% reported suicidal thoughts in the previous year (Eisenberg et al., 2021). These statistics are both concerning and unfortunate given that there are easy ways to maintain good mental health. In this paper, we propose engaging activities that can be implemented in introductory economics classes to illustrate economic concepts while promoting wellness. Learning activities that promote wellness in economics serve a twofold purpose: knowledge acquisition and better mental health outcomes for students, both of which are public goods.

Keywords: activities; engagement; engaging activities; foundation economics; games; mental health; music; teaching economics; wellness.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPEE.2025.148018

International Journal of Pluralism and Economics Education, 2025 Vol.15 No.3, pp.212 - 228

Received: 09 Oct 2024
Accepted: 28 Dec 2024
Published online: 14 Aug 2025 *

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