By Dr. Virginia Koch
In recent years, higher education leaders at many campuses have tightly coupled student success to the personal well-being of their students. Student well-being is framed as the flourishing of the whole person, and mental health is a top concern of campus leaders. About 1 in 4 students who experience mental health challenges drop out of school, with those experiencing depression being twice as likely to leave college. This is one of the reasons why mental health risk is considered one of the top risks facing higher education, according to United Educators and Deloitte.
According to a 2024 Inside Higher Ed survey, 65% of college presidents planned to increase their institution’s capacity to meet the mental health needs of their students, faculty, and staff. However, the desire to address student mental health by using emerging technology can expose campuses to risks related to student privacy; data usage and storage, as well as ethical considerations regarding transparency; AI-usage disclosure; and informed consent.
Rapidly Shifting Approaches to Mental Health
Innovative private companies have launched technology-based solutions to address campus mental health needs with promises to increase capacity while keeping costs low. The companies provide convenient, on-demand emotional support, online counseling sessions with mental health professionals, workshops, and, most-recently, AI-driven virtual therapists or chatbots. They offer 24/7, on-demand access to virtual care and are partnering with campuses and higher education professional associations to deliver high-quality, evidence-based, inclusive care programs at an increasing rate. A 2023 nationwide college student survey conducted by a leading provider of higher ed virtual health and well-being solutions revealed that 64% of students say mental health resources provided by their institution make them more likely to graduate. That’s an enticing statistic for data-driven decision makers.
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