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Science of Happiness students beat lockdown blues

16 February 2022

Students who took the University of Bristol’s ‘Science of Happiness’ course during the pandemic reported markedly better mental health than students not on the course.

During the pandemic, the course was delivered successfully online, opening up the possibility that it could be offered to thousands more students each semester.

Bristol’s Science of Happiness course is the first of its kind in the UK and the only course at the University that gives credits toward a student’s degree but does not involve any exams or coursework.

It uses the latest peer-reviewed studies in psychology and neuroscience to educate students about what is scientifically proven to make us happier.

Professor Bruce Hood heads up the course and is behind a new study, published on February 16 in the journal PlosOne, that looked at the experiences of Bristol students who took the 11 week course compared to those who did not.

This work was supported by a grant awarded jointly by the Elizabeth Blackwell Institute at the University of Bristol and the Rosetrees Trust.

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Further information

Paper

Evaluation of a credit-bearing online administered happiness course on undergraduates’ mental well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic, by Catherine Hobbs, Sarah Jelbert, Laurie R. Santos, Bruce Hood

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