The mental health of college students has become a focal point over the last few years and The Healthy Minds Network is working towards a goal of promoting student well-being within higher education.
The Healthy Minds Network, founded in 2007, is a research organization focused on adolescent and young adult mental health. HMN serves as a resource for colleges and universities to better understand the needs of their students so that they can provide programs and services that lead to better mental health and academic outcomes.
For more than 15 years, the network has conducted the Healthy Minds Study, a large-scale survey assessing mental health among post-secondary students. According to their website, they have collected over 850,000 responses from students at more than 600 colleges and universities. In recent years, their research has broadened to explore other aspects of mental health in educational environments, including the well-being of faculty and staff.
The study covers various topics, including substance use, body image concerns, overall health, and experiences of assault and abuse.
Erin Voichoski, a Data Manager and Analyst for 2.5 years, spoke about the study’s importance.
“This study provides participating schools with valuable information about the state of mental health among students on their campus, and it serves to create an annual, national dataset that is available to the general public in order to support scholarship in this vital field of research.”
As a data analyst, one the coordination team has worked with participating schools to administer the survey and collect student data, Voichoski works with her team to clean the data, prepare school-level datasets and reports to give back to the participating institutions, and ultimately answer any data-related questions that schools or external researchers may have.
In the 2023 to 2024 report, the following data was collected supporting the idea that mental health is a growing concern, especially among students.
41% of survey responders’ believed that most people would think less of someone who has received mental health care care, while only 7% personally hold this belief themselves.
61% of students diagnosed with depression or anxiety have sought therapy, counseling, or psychiatric care. Specifically, 36% have engaged in therapy, while 31% have used psychiatric medication. Half of the respondents have received a lifetime diagnosis of a mental disorder.
Regarding mental health challenges, 13% have experienced suicidal thoughts, while 26% have engaged in non-suicidal self-injury. Additionally, 13% screened positive for an eating disorder, 34% reported moderate or severe anxiety symptoms, and 38% experienced moderate or severe depressive symptoms, with 19% suffering from severe depression.
The network provides schools with this data to inform their mental health policies and services and makes sure that they are able to interpret the results.
The data collected from the study can be used for a multitude of reasons.
“We know that schools use their HMS data to advocate for increased funding and staff capacity in their counseling centers, to apply for grant funding that will support mental health programming, and to inform the campus-level interventions that they design to combat loneliness and facilitate a sense of belonging among students on their campus.” Voichoski stated.
The study helps schools better understand why students who received mental health services (like therapy or medication) reached out in the first place and why those with symptoms of depression or anxiety have not reached out or sought treatment.
“Perhaps a friend, family member, professor, or advisor encouraged them to seek treatment, and that’s the reason they went. Or they are worried that they won’t be able to afford services, or that their peers will judge them for receiving mental health treatment, or that they simply don’t know where to go or how to schedule an appointment.” Voichoski said.
Without data like the HMS provides, it can be challenging for schools to understand what students want and need. All of this information helps schools make adjustments and better serve their students.
“I’ve witnessed firsthand how the administrators, faculty members, and counselors with whom we work to administer the HMS survey genuinely care about improving the outcomes of students on their campuses.” Voichoski said.
This year, the study has been brought to Mercy University joining 456 other schools. Students are encouraged to participate in the study as they receive their results for the tools used to identify symptoms of anxiety, depression, and eating disorders. Students can impact how the network addresses mental health issues on campus, improve support systems, and create a healthier environment for everyone.
The study takes approximately 25-30 minutes to complete online and is a chance to reflect on important topics in students life and campus community. It is broken up into three modules, demographics, mental health status, and mental health survey utilization/help-seeking.
As an incentive, students who participate in the study are automatically entered into a sweepstakes for one of four $250 gift cards and one of ten $100 gift cards. Winners will be drawn by researchers at the University of Michigan School of Public Health in Ann Arbor, Michigan in summer 2025 and will be notified by email and provided with information about how to collect the prize.
This survey provides one opportunity for students to make their voices heard.
“We hope that participating in the HMS survey is only one component of a much broader goal: To get students, faculty and staff members, and administrators talking about mental health and taking action to ensure that students (and employees!) can thrive on their campuses.” Voichoski said.
