Stress and distress
How pressure is experienced, including intensity and persistence.
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Evidence · Scientific foundation
A multidimensional scientific foundation for early identification and support.
The RELIEF PLUS assessment approach considers patterns across distress, symptoms, risk, resilience, context, and functioning rather than relying on one isolated score.
MASS is presented as a screening and triage-support framework—not an autonomous diagnostic system.
Multidimensional model
Mental health cannot be understood from one symptom score alone.
The MASS research programme was developed around the idea that student mental health is shaped by several connected dimensions: distress and symptoms, warning signs and risk, resilience and coping, psychosocial context, and day-to-day functioning.
Published and internal records describe multiple instrument versions across the development pathway. Public claims should therefore name the relevant version and study rather than imply that every result refers to one unchanged questionnaire.
Mental-health symptoms
Patterns of emotional, cognitive, and behavioural difficulty.
Warning signs and risk
Indicators requiring careful review or prompt human attention.
Resilience and coping
Protective resources and ways of responding to adversity.
Psychosocial context
Life circumstances and pressures that can influence vulnerability.
Functioning
Effects on study, relationships, self-care, and everyday life.
Clinical boundary
Screening supports decisions. It does not replace diagnosis.
The regulatory intended use describes RELIEF PLUS as a non-diagnostic screening and referral-support platform. Self-reported information and rule-based scoring can help identify possible distress, risk, and support needs, but medical diagnosis and treatment remain the responsibility of qualified professionals.
Risk-informed support
Results are interpreted as a pattern, not a single isolated number.
Internal technical records describe an L1–L4 support framework. Public presentation should focus on the practical meaning of stepped support while keeping thresholds, algorithm versions, and clinical review rules under controlled documentation.
General wellness
Education, preventive resources, and healthy-routine support.
Guided self-management
Structured self-help, monitoring, and optional counselling access.
Professional support
Counsellor, psychologist, doctor, or psychiatrist referral as appropriate.
Prompt human attention
Urgent escalation and local crisis procedures when safety indicators are present.
Evidence governance
A trustworthy scientific foundation is versioned and auditable.
- Name the instrument version used in each study.
- Keep overlapping cohorts from being counted twice.
- Link claims to the underlying paper or primary record.
- Keep research proposals separate from completed results.
- Distinguish fixed rules, statistical models, and machine-learning functions.
- Retain human oversight for safety and clinical judgement.
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