The college mental health crisis is not a new problem. Rather, this issue has been at the forefront of policymakers’ and administrators’ minds, especially since the pandemic. Despite the increasing focus on the wellbeing of students entering into undergraduate and graduate studies, much progress has not been made. In fact, from Healthy Minds Study data, between 2013 and 2021 there was almost a 50% increase in at least one mental health issue for students. What has become even more concerning is that 41% of students surveyed experience some form of depression, 36% experience some level of anxiety, and 14% had suicidal ideation within the last year.
Such results have prompted the action of key proponents within the field of mental health to declare this issue of worsening mental health as an emergency. From Surgeon General Vivek Murthy’s innovative “We are made to Connect” campaign, built upon the prioritization of student community and relationship building to decrease loneliness, to warnings regarding the possible negative impact that social media can have on student wellbeing, a multi-faceted approach must be taken to truly improve mental health outcomes for students.
From my first year in college, my understanding of student wellbeing has dramatically changed from a focus on the students themselves to the support systems that surround them. Coming into college, I began to realize that much of mental health dialogue tends to center on students’ taking action for themselves; students should learn how to eat healthy, make time for themselves, make long-lasting friendships, avoid negativity on social media, and more. While all of these strategies are crucial to the development of healthy well-being and good overall mental health, these only serve as one part of the greater puzzle to solving the student mental health crisis as a whole. From conversations with faculty at my university, the University of Georgia, I quickly realized that faculty play a larger role in student mental health and well-being than I had initially thought. Two conversations in particular stick out to me.
The first exchange happened with my organic chemistry professor. As a student on the pre-medicine track, classes such as organic chemistry and biochemistry can be a daunting load to handle. Especially with difficult content, and intimidating exams every couple of weeks, in addition to multiple other classes – demanding classes can cause students to struggle to put themselves first, impacting their health and well-being. These classes, in addition to outside stressors that college students often face, such as financial hardships, social pressures, and more, can be hard on the student, simply put. However, classes like these are crucial for students’ success and future careers. Keeping this in mind, my professor once led a discussion in class about how he had been in our shoes before. He had been an undergraduate and graduate student himself, he had stayed up until late hours studying or worrying, and he knew what it was like to feel the stress of a college student. He told us that while his class was important and that we were still expected to attend class/exams, putting ourselves and our health first is just as important to our success as studying or completing assignments. I believe that faculty should be open and aware of mental health issues and concerns on campuses. Conversations with students like these can help to destigmatize student well-being as a whole and emphasize the necessity for students to understand faculty recognition of mental health as part of a student’s overall health.
Furthermore, after the tragic passing of students on the University of Georgia’s campus in the Spring of 2024, faculty became much more upfront about student wellbeing. By being able to recognize and designate mental health as a student priority within the classroom space, faculty can make strides toward the improvement of student mental health and its stigmatization. It’s not a question of making classes easier or less strenuous, it simply boils down to faculty recognition of students trying to maintain some sort of normalcy.
Yet another conversation that sticks out to me is one that I had with my religion professor. When explaining her due date system, she mentioned that she sets all her assignments to be completed at 5 P.M. While some students may not like this system, I appreciated her explanation as to why she made this decision. Understanding that students have a lot on their plates, she decided to make due dates earlier so her assignments were not a priority over important things like sleep or a healthy meal.
Overall, there are many moving parts when it comes to addressing student mental health on campuses across the United States and globally. Whether it comes from the students’ actions themselves, from administrative action to increase mental health support and programs on campus, or from faculty – there are several measures and steps to be taken in the right direction. Faculty have increasingly recognized the role that they play in student mental health. However, having essential conversations with students and making direct attempts to alleviate some of the pressures students might face – while still setting us up for success – has been helpful from the student’s perspective.
Shriya Garg is a sophomore at the University of Georgia majoring in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry. She is a member of the Council on Student Wellbeing.