How to Improve Mental Health in Higher Education

Supporting student mental health in higher education is a growing priority. College life can be very stressful, with challenging academics, financial worries and social pressures — not to mention the transition into adulthood. How common are these concerns? Last year's Healthy Minds Study of over 104,000 university and college students found that:

• 38% screened positive for moderate or severe depression.
• 34% screened positive for moderate or severe anxiety.
• 13% experienced suicidal thoughts in the past year.

Mental health challenges impact students' academic performance and overall wellbeing, which affects the entire campus. This includes faculty, staff and other students — who are often first to notice problems, but may not know what to do.

"Over 45% of college students in the United States struggle with mental health, contributing to incompletion rates of 39%," said Tramaine EL-Amin, vice president, Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) at the National Council for Mental Wellbeing. "Faculty, staff and other students want to help, but may not feel adequately trained to intervene. One way to assist is by offering MHFA training to both students and staff, giving campuses the tools to help create a supportive environment for everyone."

A huge barrier to mental health care for college students is stigma. In addition to feeling uncomfortable asking for help, many students lack access to, or don't know about, available resources and services. The impact of not getting care is very real, as mental health challenges are a leading cause of student withdrawals. In one study, 33% of student withdrawals cited mental health as the reason, with 11% citing it as the primary factor.

Why college students, faculty and staff should be trained in MHFA

Provided by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, MHFA for Higher Education offers training that helps reduce stigma by encouraging open conversations and teaching faculty, staff and students to respond appropriately to someone in need.

Whether they intend to help students struggling with anxiety, faculty feeling burnout or staff experiencing depression, participants in MHFA for Higher Education learn effective techniques to help someone experiencing a mental health challenge or crisis and ways to connect them to professional resources for care. MHFA does not replace professional care, and participants do not learn to diagnose mental health conditions.

MHFA is an evidence-based course supported by over 72 peer-reviewed studies in the United States. In a recent evaluation of the MHFA for Higher Education course, learners who took the course experienced the following:

• 75% are more confident in recognizing and responding to mental health challenges.
• 72% increased their mental health literacy.
• 54% had increased intentions to use their new MHFA skills/help someone in distress or need.
• 59% felt that providing resources and referrals became easier.

Transform your campus environment with MHFA

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-Chapel Hill) trained nearly 900 staff and faculty members in MHFA, leading to positive outcomes in mental health support. Faculty and staff put signs on their doors to show they were trained in MHFA, encouraging students to seek help. This shift in campus culture made it clear that mental health is a priority, and many shared how they used their new skills to help students as well as people outside campus.

"We spend time diving into scenarios of how folks might present with early signs and symptoms versus worsening signs, up to crisis level. If folks are at crisis level, we want to get them connected to professional support immediately, so it really helps to identify those differences," said Alicia Freeman, MHFA program manager for UNC-Chapel Hill's Behavioral Health Springboard. "The program doesn't train you to be a therapist. We're just recognizing who may need support, the same way if we see somebody fall down and sprain their ankle."

Before the training, only 48% of learners at UNC-Chapel Hill felt confident about being able to respond to a substance use crisis; after the training, 82% felt confident. In addition, over 81% who completed training reported feeling confident about asking someone directly if they were considering suicide. In follow-up surveys, 98% of the participants said they would recommend MHFA training to someone else.

"From a faculty and staff perspective, there's a lot of frontline work that happens in the classroom, noticing students' struggles day in and day out," added Tiffany Edouard, MHFA Coordinator for the Behavioral Health Springboard. "It's incredible professional development to not just refer them to an academic counselor, but to intervene and assess what resources they need. From a student perspective, it's invaluable to have conversations with peers, as they're often the first to hear from someone in need. MHFA provides a foundational tool that enhances the campus culture for everyone."

Learn more about UNC-Chapel Hill's experience with MHFA in this video.

How MHFA can make a difference for your school

Since 2008, MHFA has helped over 650 colleges and universities learn the tools they need to support student mental health, offering a safe, nonjudgmental environment where students feel empowered to seek help. MHFA private trainings bring experts to campus (virtually or in person) to guide faculty, staff and students to be mental health champions, making a difference in students' lives.

Investing in student mental health and resilience improves overall wellness, setting up students for success on and off campus. By promoting mental health awareness, colleges can ensure everyone — students, faculty and staff — feels better prepared to support mental health needs for themselves and others.

Learn more about bringing Mental Health First Aid to your campus or join an upcoming higher education webinar hosted by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing on Tuesday, April 1.