Student Health Matters app (Ireland)
Irish students are managing their health independently – often for the first time, far from home, and without always knowing where to turn.
Student Health Matters gives colleges and universities one trusted, clinically reviewed resource to put in every student's hands from day one – free, private, and built around the realities of student life in Ireland.
Available free on the Apple App Store and Google Play. No account is required to download or use the app.
The gap every student health service knows.
Many of your students are living away from home for the first time – balancing academic pressure, new social lives, financial stress, and the everyday challenges of independent living. When health concerns arise, they don't always know what's normal, what's serious, or where to go.
So they often ask their friends or search online. And what they find is often unreliable, alarming, or simply not relevant to their situation.
Without clear, trusted guidance early on, small concerns can escalate – into poor mental or physical health, disengagement, or crisis. You see this pattern across every cohort, every year.
The pressure on your teams is real – and rising.
Your student health and wellbeing teams are skilled and committed. But demand keeps growing, capacity is stretched, and the moments students most need support are rarely the moments your services are easiest to reach.
You need something that works when your doors are closed – answering common questions consistently, reducing anxiety, and helping students make better decisions about their health before problems escalate.
Earlier, clearer support doesn't just help students – it eases pressure on already stretched services.
Whole health guidance – built for Irish student life.
App launch at the 2020 ISHA conference in Dublin
Developed in partnership with the Irish Student Health Association (ISHA) and co-created with student health professionals and students from South East Technological University (SETU) and the Technological University of the Shannon (TUS), Student Health Matters covers the full range of health and wellbeing topics students actually face.
Inside the app, students find clear, practical guidance on:
- Healthy living – diet, exercise, alcohol, drugs, smoking, and vaccinations
- Mental health – recognising symptoms, managing stress, and knowing when to seek help
- Sexual health – contraception, consent, STI testing, and pregnancy support
- Health A-Z – common conditions, emergencies, first aid, and HSE resources
- Self-care skills – managing minor illness and everyday wellbeing
- Support and signposting – quick access to the HSE, helplines, and local or university services
Everything is written in plain English and designed to be easy to dip into – especially during busy or stressful periods.
The app is not a replacement for clinical care. It sits alongside your existing services – reinforcing your messages, reducing reliance on unsafe online sources, and supporting students at the moments your teams can't be there.
Free for students and institutions. No contracts, no set-up, no personal data collection.
Trusted by Irish student health professionals.
Student Health Matters has been developed in partnership with ISHA and meets recognised quality and safety standards:
- PIF TICK certified
- Co-created with student health professionals and students at SETU and TUS
- Developed with and endorsed by the Irish Student Health Association
"Tailored specifically to the needs of third-level students in Ireland — the app is a tremendous resource — the first of its kind for our student population."
– Theresa Lowry Lehnen, Clinical Nurse Practitioner, IT Carlow, ISHA Lead
For more details on how we develop and quality-assure our content, visit our Quality Assurance and Editorial pages – both open in a new tab.
The difference it makes for your institution.
When students have access to clear, trusted health guidance from day one, they are more likely to:
- manage everyday health concerns safely and confidently
- seek help earlier and more appropriately
- stay engaged with their studies
- make better use of the services you already provide
For institutions, that means reduced pressure on student health and wellbeing teams, fewer repeated queries, and students who are better equipped to look after themselves throughout their studies.
Make it feel like yours.
Colleges and universities can localise Student Health Matters – adding a branded home page and a directory of local services, support, and pathways relevant to their campus.
It's a straightforward way to make trusted, nationally recognised guidance feel connected to your own institution – building confidence and belonging from the moment students arrive, without the cost or complexity of building something new.
Talk to us about localising this app
Let’s start a conversation
Want to know more first? Find out how our free apps work and how to localise this app for your organisation — both open in a new tab.
If you’d like to explore how Student Health Matters could support your students and staff, we’d be glad to talk.