Addressing Mental Health on Campus
A growing number of CFOs and board members I regularly speak with say student mental health is one of their biggest concerns on campus. The numbers back them up.
In a survey of college and university presidents, 72% identified student mental health as a pressing issue (with mental health of faculty and staff the second-most commonly selected pressing concern). Of this group, 54% said they did not have the tools they need to address students’ mental health concerns.1 It’s such a concern that U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek H. Murthy issued an advisory on youth mental health last December.2
What are college students facing specifically? A study by the Center for Collegiate Mental Health identified increases in social anxiety and academic distress since the pandemic.3 Notably, the onset of mental health challenges coincides with traditional college years. About 75% of lifetime mental health problems will begin by age 24.4
The Costs & Benefits of Mental Health Programming
The costs of mental health programming (or lack thereof) can be staggering and come with very real consequences. Mental health struggles can truly be a life-or-death situation, such as the devastating loss of seven students in eight months at Worcester Polytechnic Institute.5 And given that suicide is the second leading cause of death among college students,6 it’s a tragedy that unfortunately all universities need to address.
A school faces the risk of a lawsuit if it’s alleged to have mishandled a student’s mental health needs. There’s also the headline risk that can arise from poor management of these issues.
On a daily operational level, a robust mental health program can unfortunately put additional financial strains on a university. As demand continues to increase for mental health services on campus, many colleges are looking to hire more counselors. But counselors come at a cost when so many budgets are already strained (some institutions are covering it by increasing student service fees). Along with the expense, schools are also facing a shortage of available providers, particularly in rural areas.7
Apart from immense benefit that comes from preventing loss of life, there are real financial gains that can be yielded from good mental health programming on campus.
Current persistence rates are 73.9%, which means that over a quarter of all students do not return to complete a second year of higher education.8 And with a demographic cliff looming, it’s more important than ever to retain students (thus preserving revenue).
A 2009 study found that students with depression and anxiety disorders had a higher probability of dropping out. The study also estimates a net economic return of 40% from increased detection and treatment of depression.9 This study became the basis for an online tool where schools can estimate their return on investment from mental health services and programs.10
In an instance where a school is increasing costs to provide mental health care for 500 additional depressed students in a year, the return on investment would be $500,000 for the institution and at least $1.5 million for society at large.11
From a recruitment perspective, Gen Z is more open than their predecessors when it comes to discussing mental health, and stigmas around mental health have lessened in recent years. As a result, discussing mental health programs on campus tours and through a university’s website are more appealing to prospective students.12 According to one report, 60% of prospective students say that mental health services are a very important factor in their search for a university.13
What can mental health programming look like?
Ideally, mental health would be addressed holistically as part of a school’s larger student services offerings. Administrators understand that they need to take a more proactive approach than just hiring additional counselors to react to crises. Making investments in early intervention can help. Following are a few tactics that have proven successful.
Peer-to-peer programming has been found to be a highly effective tool. One study found that 41% of students received counseling or support for their mental health from friends, compared with just 4% from faculty and 2% from staff.14 Such services could include:
Peer education
. Many schools have identified so-called influencers and educated them on campus-wide resources they can share with their peers.
Peer counseling
, or trained peers who provide mental health support. Over 60% of students have expressed an interest in peer counseling but had not yet taken advantage of it. It should be noted that usage of peer counseling is higher among minority students, as they are more easily able to find a counselor with a shared identity or experiences.15
Early reporting tools. Several administrators have told me that their schools have reporting tools in which faculty and staff (and sometimes students) can report a variety of issues, including financial, academic, attendance, behavioral, and so on. These tools can help identify retention concerns early and recommend the appropriate services. However, these tools are only as effective as the information coming in and the responses coming out.
Virtual health services. While telehealth existed before the pandemic, it has become much more commonplace and accepted today. Using an outsourced telehealth service can assist overstretched counseling centers and provide students with 24/7 access to mental health care. Telehealth can also be a useful tool for supporting international populations on campus. Some telehealth services are available in multiple languages and allow for matching with culturally similar counselors.
Campus Planning. As mentioned earlier, many in leadership roles feel they do not have the tools to properly address mental health issues on campus. The JED Foundation has a four-year program to assist campuses in reviewing all aspects of campus life in an effort to protect their students’ mental health. Upon completion, a school can receive the distinction of being a JED Campus, demonstrating its commitment to student well-being.16
Overall, schools are doing a very good job of educating students on what services are available, with 70% of students at least somewhat agreeing they know what resources are available on campus.14 But administrators know that schools need to do more. In May, the U.S. Department of Education announced additional guidance on the use of HEERF funds for mental health services on campus, includes services like telemedicine, which were not originally included in HEERF legislation.17
Ultimately, it’s a matter of making mental health an integral part of a school’s overall student services offerings—not something to refer to in case of an emergency. As Dr. Meghan Dimsa, Director of Health Promotion at the University of Denver, recently told me: “Mental health services should not be treated like deferred maintenance. Do you wait to repair the roof when it’s falling off, or maintain it with time?”
1 American Council on Education
2 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
4 The Brink (Boston University)
6 American Council on Education
8 National Student Clearinghouse Research Center
9 Mental Health and Academic Success in College
10 Health Minds Network ROI Calculator
11 American Council on Education