More than nine in 10 higher education institutions in Taiwan now allow students to take time off for mental health reasons – a dramatic expansion that academics describe as an overdue response to rising psychological stress among students.

According to recent Ministry of Education (MoE) data, 135 universities and colleges now offer “mental health leave”, up from only 11 in 2022, an elevenfold increase that officials say reflects growing awareness of well-being across the higher education sector.

Depending on the institution, students can take three to five days of mental health leave each semester, often referred to as “psychological” or “psychological adjustment” leave.

At National Taiwan University (NTU),��the policy was introduced in 2023, allowing up to three days of leave per semester.

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Students can apply for same-day leave without documentation, although repeat applications automatically alert the student affairs and counselling centres.

“The policy gives students in need a chance to breathe and alerts the university and advisers to their needs,” said Shi-Wei Chu, NTU’s vice-president for student affairs.

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Chu said that between 400 and 500 NTU students use the scheme each month, adding up to about 1,500 to 2,000 requests per semester.

The growing demand, he said, “has increased the need for counselling staff, which is a crucial part of supporting students’ mental health”.

To strengthen support services, Taiwan’s legislature last year amended the Student Guidance and Counselling Act, tightening the staffing ratio from one counsellor per 1,200 students to one per 900.

The MoE also subsidises additional hiring, and NTU now employs 40 full-time counsellors, including psychologists and social workers.

National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU) also adopted a mental health leave policy in 2023.

University officials say take-up has been steady, with only a small proportion of students applying each semester, suggesting that most use the system responsibly rather than as a means to skip classes.

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The MoE formalised guidance on mental health leave last year, recommending that universities provide at least three days per semester, categorised separately from other types of personal leave.

It also funds programmes that promote mental health literacy among students and professional development for counselling staff.

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Angela Yung Chi Hou, from the College of Education at National Chengchi University (NCCU), said the shift reflects wider pressures in the system.

She told ����Vlog: “In recent years, the number of mental illness cases among university students in Taiwan has been rising, largely due to intense academic pressure and competition – particularly in top research universities.

“It has become increasingly challenging for teachers to determine whether students are genuinely in need of mental health leave or are misusing such policies. To avoid potential disputes, most teachers tend to approve applications without further inquiry.”

Hou noted that under the latest cycle of institutional accreditation by the ����Vlog Evaluation and Accreditation Council of Taiwan (HEEACT), universities are now assessed on whether they employ enough professional counsellors.

Gregory Ching, also of NCCU, said the policy’s success will depend on monitoring and resources: “It really depends on the students. If they want to skip classes, they can find many reasons. But mental health leave helps teachers identify students who may need special attention and refer them for counselling.”

Ching said staffing and funding remain critical challenges, and that universities will need long-term data to assess whether mental health leave genuinely improves outcomes.

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“We’ll need a longitudinal perspective and institutional research to see if this kind of policy makes a real difference,” he said.

tash.mosheim@timeshighereducation.com