Student mental health is inextricably linked to student success. Depression is associated with lower GPA and higher drop-out risk among college and university students¹ and recent studies show that 75% of students have considered leaving over the past six months due to emotional stress.²

When students are experiencing a mental health concern, such as stress, anxiety, or depression, it can be hard to manage emotions, concentrate, navigate difficult situations, maintain healthy relationships, participate in events or activities, and maintain good grades, preventing students from achieving academic success and thriving on and off campus. 

With mental health concerns rising on college and university campuses across the country, higher education leaders are starting to recognize the connection between student success and well-being.

A Virginia Commonwealth University study of nearly 10,000 college students reveals that behavioral and emotional health factors like depressive symptoms, antisocial behaviors, exposure to stressful events, and substance use increase a student’s risk of dropping out of college.³

While the overall dropout rate for college students has decreased, according to the National Center for Education Statistics,⁴ the dropout rate remains high at 32.9% overall with first-year students facing a 24.4% dropout rate.⁵ While undergraduate student enrollment has started to slowly rise since the pandemic, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center,⁶ campus leaders continue to worry about academic performance and student mental health, both of which impact student success. 

According to the most recent Healthy Minds Study, 41% of students have major or moderate depression, 36% have an anxiety disorder,⁷ and 46% have a lifetime diagnosis of a mental health disorder. The Inside Higher Ed and College Pulse’s 2023 Student Voice survey of 3,000 college students has also found that 56% of respondents experienced chronic stress and 78% of those with a mental health condition experienced chronic stress.⁸

Understanding the connection between mental health and education, campus leaders are considering new innovative ways to support student success and well-being. 

Student mental health has been recognized as a top concern among presidents, according to Inside Higher Ed’s 2023 Survey of College and University Presidents, and most attribute the increased demand for student mental health services to declining student resilience and sense of belonging in relation to the pandemic.⁹

College life is inherently challenging, as students are adjusting to a new environment, community, and lifestyle. Some of the most common challenges include:

How does mental health affect student learning? In addition to the above, student mental health and wellness challenges like loneliness, anxiety, depression, neurodiverse conditions like ADHD and dyslexia, among other concerns, make it hard for students to concentrate, to navigate challenging situations, and cope in healthy ways. This is why many campus leaders are turning to additional mental health resources to support student success and well-being. Some of these include virtual psychiatry, 24/7 crisis support, and peer-to-peer support.

When it comes to mental health support for students, campus leaders should consider the gaps in their existing offerings, as well as the needs of their students. Looking beyond additional clinical support, which may be necessary, colleges and universities can add preventative, upstream solutions, such as:

By making wellness and other upstream student mental health services available to the entire student body, higher education institutions can reserve one-on-one clinical support for students who really need it, while increasing overall student satisfaction. This has the added benefit of ensuring that the limited clinical resources on campus, such as therapy and psychiatry are delivered more efficiently and effectively to students with moderate to severe mental health conditions. 

When students’ mental health and well-being is supported, students are more likely to graduate and become healthier and civic-minded individuals,¹⁰ contributing to a better society for all. To improve the quality of your care offerings and meet the needs of your students, consider a partnership with Mantra Health. 

Knowing the importance of mental health in schools, we work closely with college and university partners to deliver high-quality student mental health and wellness solutions to the entire student body. 

References:

¹ (2009, January). Mental Health and Academic Success in College. The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, 9(1), 40-40.
² Gallup. (2023). State of Higher Education. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
³ Thomas, N. S., Barr, P. B., Hottell, D. L., Adkins, A. E., & Dick, D. M. (2021). Longitudinal influence of behavioral health, emotional health, and student involvement on college student retention. Journal of College Student Development, 62(1), 2-18.
⁴ National Center for Education Statistics. (2023). Status Dropout Rates. Condition of Education. U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved [2024].
⁵ Education Data. (2023, October). College dropout rates. 
⁶ National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. (2024, January). Current term enrollment estimates.
⁷ Healthy Minds Network. (2023). Healthy Minds Survey 2022-2023 National Report [PDF].
⁸ Inside Higher Ed. (2023). Student Voice collection.
⁹ Inside Higher Ed. (2023, April 10). 2023 Survey of College and University Presidents.
¹⁰ Gallup. (2023). State of Higher Education [Report].