Sobering Statistics on Student Mental Health
One of the critical risks in higher education that demands more attention is student mental health. With over 18 million individuals attending colleges and universities in the US annually, addressing ways to mitigate this challenge is key for student success.
I recently attended the American Council on Education webinar "Mental Health in Higher Education," where statistical data exhibited the profound impact of student mental health on student retention.
I also had the privilege of attending The Jed Foundation (JED)’s annual gala, where valuable insights were shared on how implementing JED’s programs can reduce risk and be successful. United Educators recently became a partner with JED which further demonstrates the importance of mental health and the need for collaboration.
My newest article will delve deeper into the data, the expert opinions and share potential solutions.
Let's work cross-functionally to address this challenge together.
One of the often cited top risks in the higher education space is student mental health.
With more than 18 million people attending colleges and universities in the US every year, this topic cannot be ignored. To better understand the criticality of this trend, I recently attended the American Council on Education webinar “Mental Health in Higher Education,” where statistical data was shared on the impact of student mental health over the past 10 years.
I also had the privilege of attending The JED Foundation’s annual gala where hopeful and enlightening information was shared on how colleges and universities can leverage JED’s programs and systems to combat student mental health risks. Meeting John Macphee, the CEO, and being part of the over 700 attendees who recognized the founder, Phillip Satow, confirms the importance of this organization to building solutions.
Why is this important?
Did you know more than 50% of today’s current college students meet the criteria for a mental health concern per a Healthy Minds 2022-23 study?
What does this mean for colleges and universities?
Untreated depression is associated with a 2x increase in stopping out of college.
BIPOC and first-generation and low-income students are less likely to seek treatment.
There has been a “decreased rate of flourishing” for college and university students over the past 10 years where only 36% of students experience positive mental health.
80% of students report academic impairment due to mental health concerns.
Poor mental health may decrease one’s willingness to make long-term investments like postsecondary education.
Other key findings:
Depression rates +135%
More than doubling of anxiety
Increasing rates of suicidal ideation +64%
Greater Awareness of Trends & Data is Helping
While the pandemic contributed to increases, the trend was already escalating since 2016. Does it have to do with the stigma of discussing mental health? The answer to that question per the survey data was no.
Despite the increasing knowledge about depression and reduced stigma regarding mental health, students are not still accessing treatment.
The idea of a “treatment gap” shared by Dr. Sarah K. Lipson, a Principal Investigator for the Healthy Minds Network , focused on the disparity between those who need treatment and those who actually receive it. The lack of urgency in addressing this challenge with appropriate resources was also mentioned.
Surprisingly, “not having enough time” was a key response for the students not addressing their mental health concerns. Other respondents stated that they would rather deal with it on their own or that the need was not that urgent.
A separate study conducted by Gallup-Lumina, State of Higher Education 2024 Report is another data source that shares the effects of mental health on post-secondary education.
More than one in three currently enrolled students have considered stopping out of their degree or credential program within the last six months.
64% say emotional stress or mental health concerns are significant reasons. This is more than twice the percentage who say the cost of their program is what may cause them to stop out.
What can be done?
Additional panel experts shared evidence-based practices for potential solutions. Dr. Ryan S. Patel at The Ohio State University shared his insights on how this trend is a “large-scale and multifactorial problem” and referenced supporting a “Culture of Care" on campus where mental health is everyone’s responsibility.
The insights from Texas Christian University, Dr. Eric Wood, focused on employing a “Comprehensive Collaborative Care” model, which has proven to be quite effective. Integrative and collaborative approaches appear to reduce risks and create better outcomes. However, Wood mentioned the need for collaboration, better data, and research to address this ongoing challenge.
What resources are available to address this challenge?
I recently became familiar with The Jed Foundation (JED) and attended their annual gala. For those unfamiliar with JED, it is a nonprofit that focuses on protecting emotional health and preventing suicide for American teens and young adults.
One of JED’s programs is the JED Campus. This four-year technical assistance program provides colleges and universities with expert support, recommended best practices and data-backed guidance.
The JED Campus initiative has proven to assist institutions by:
Providing services that increase student flourishing scores
Decreasing rates of suicidal ideation
Assisting with improvements in reducing anxiety and depression scores.
Innovative partnerships are part of the solution.
In 2022, the JED Foundation and United Educators (UE), which provides liability and risk management services for K-12 schools and higher education institutions, partnered to combat this challenge and reduce the risks of the college mental health crisis. This partnership allows eligible UE members to earn an insurance premium credit by implementing specific risk management initiatives as part of UE’s Risk Management Premium Credit program (RMPC).
Final thoughts
Throughout the webinar and at the JED Gala, cross-functional collaboration was at the forefront. Improved campus communication with a holistic approach combined with the partnership of strategic third parties such as insurers, researchers, government, or non-profits, can help pave the way forward.
Leveraging shared resources and insights has proven to improve student mental health and mitigate the risks and negative outcomes of stopping out of their academic pursuits.
What changes or programs will you implement to combat this crisis and help build a better future for students?
