As college students return to campus, many will be filled with excitement about the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. For some, however, the college experience will bring or worsen challenges to their mental health and well-being. In fact, one of every five college students (21.3%) responding to a national research survey by the American College Health Association in October 2023 reported serious psychological distress. And more than half of college students (51.5%) scored positive on the scale for loneliness.
Mental health trends among college students
Those grim statistics are not surprising in the context of broader mental health trends among college students. Each year, the Center for Collegiate Mental Health analyzes de-identified data collected during the academic year from 195 college and university counseling centers. The data relates to more than 185,000 college students seeking counseling services on their college campus. Here are a few of the organization’s findings from its 2023 Annual Report:
- Students experiencing discrimination or unfair treatment due to their identity (disability, gender, nationality, race/ethnicity/culture, religion, or sexual orientation) “ended treatment with higher average levels of distress,” even though their treatment showed the same level of effectiveness as the treatment of other students. This outcome disparity points to the need for additional mental health support for diverse students outside counseling centers.
- Nearly half (47%) of students seeking mental health support indicated a history of trauma.
- Social anxiety continued to show the greatest increase over 13 years across depression, generalized anxiety, social anxiety, academic distress, eating concerns, family distress, frustration/anger, and substance use, which comprise the eight Counseling Center Assessment of Psychological Symptoms subscales.
- The symptom of social anxiety that has increased the most over 13 years is the “concern that others do not like me.” The report suggests that increased isolation, the rise in social comparison via social media, and the return to more in-person social interactions post pandemic could be contributing factors.
- Anxiety continues to be the most common presenting concern identified by clinicians.
- After declining for several years, “relationship problem” is becoming a top concern, and “trauma” as a general and top concern has continued to increase since the 2014–2015 academic year.
It’s important to note that this data reflects only the mental health concerns of college students who receive mental health support on campus, rather than the general population of college students. According to the Healthy Minds survey of 90,000 undergraduate and graduate students, more than 60% meet the criteria for at least one mental health problem, with 44% reporting symptoms of depression and 37% experiencing anxiety.
What anxiety and depression can look like for college students
People experience mental health challenges differently, but some symptoms are common.
Some common symptoms of anxiety:
- Worry or nervousness
- Rapid heart rate
- Shaking, trembling, or sweating
- Headaches, stomach aches
- Sleep challenges
- Feeling tired
- Poor concentration
- Sense of impending doom
Some common symptoms of depression:
- Persistent low mood
- Irritability
- Feelings of hopelessness or pessimism
- Emotional numbness
- Loss of interest in activities
- Poor concentration and memory
- Sleeping too much or too little
- Appetite or weight changes
- Aches and pains without a clear cause
The impact on college students of mental health concerns
The impact of anxiety and depression can extend far beyond these symptoms, however. Unaddressed anxiety and depression among college-age students can have an impact on their academic performance and overall quality of life, research shows. The distress caused by mental health challenges is associated with the following:
- Less academic integrity (i.e., engaging in unfair or dishonest practices such as plagiarism)
- Alcohol and substance abuse
- Relationship problems
- Reduced empathy
- Lower self-esteem or self-confidence
- Suicidal thoughts
It’s easy to see how these factors could in turn exacerbate feelings of anxiety or depression, potentially making it harder for students to proactively seek mental health care when they need it. The mental health stigma and lack of accessible mental health resources on campus are additional barriers that students could face in getting the support they need.
Ultimately, unaddressed anxiety can manifest as physical health issues, such as digestive problems, heart disease, respiratory problems, and a weakened immune system. Similarly, untreated depression is associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes, coronary artery disease, insomnia, and chronic pain. And finally, the mental and physical health struggles of college students can take a toll on concerned parents, affecting their focus and productivity at work.
How colleges, employers, and health plans can help
Colleges play a vital role in supporting the mental health and well-being of college students, both through on-campus counseling resources and efforts such as diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) initiatives. But more can be done to support college students, not just by colleges but by employers and health plans, too. These steps include the following:
1. Facilitate access to regular mental health screenings
Many colleges offer mental health screenings at their counseling centers or at campus events, but utilization requires that busy students show up at a physical location to complete them. Instead, colleges, employers, and health plans could offer free online mental health screenings that students can access in private from any location they choose.
Calm has released a free, standalone mental health screening for adults ages 18+ at screening.calm.com. The screening takes just 1 to 2 minutes to complete and uses questions from the Patient Health Questionnaire 8 (PHQ-8), a screening for depression symptoms, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7), a screening for anxiety symptoms. (Note: This screening is not intended to diagnose depression or anxiety nor is it a substitute for care by a physician or other health care provider. It is available only to U.S. residents age 18 or older.)
2. Help students find the mental health resources they need
Upon completing a screening on campus, whether at a counseling center or an event, students can review their results with providers and determine appropriate next steps, perhaps a more comprehensive evaluation or specific services.
But some students needing mental health support won’t seek out services on campus because of time constraints, perceived stigma, lack of provider availability, or other barriers. Colleges, employers, and health plans can help more students get the mental health support they need by offering online assistance.
At the conclusion of the online mental health screening, Calm Health recommends a combination of mindfulness content, clinical programs, and external resources aligned to the individual’s screening responses. For example, if a student’s screening results indicate they may have symptoms of minimal depression and minimal anxiety, Calm Health will recommend content and tools available on Calm to help them manage their stress, improve sleep, and live mindfully. (Students can check to see if they have access to Calm through their college health plan or a parent’s employee benefits plan. Alternatively, Calm Health provides a link to access Calm directly at a discount.)
If the student’s results indicate they may have mild symptoms of anxiety or depression, they will get a recommendation to use Calm Health. If they indicate their topics of interest and goals, Calm Health will recommend specific clinical programs in the app related to their life experience, including the following:
- Campus Chill: Anxiety Management in College. This series features eight programs related to college anxiety, including “How to Avoid Avoiding,” “Recognize and Shift Toxic Thoughts,” “Easing into College and Adulting,” and “Your Compass to Student Counseling.”
- Tackling Depression and College Life. This 11-program series includes “Depression 101,” “Edit Depressing Thoughts,” “Working with Toxic Beliefs,” “Reducing Loneliness and Finding Friends,” and “What to Do with Intense Feelings.”
If the student’s screening results indicate they may be experiencing moderate symptoms of depression or anxiety, the Calm Health narrator will tell them that the best way to deal with their symptoms is to reach out to a mental health practitioner. Calm Health provides links to external resources such as SAMHSA, ADAA, and NAMI to help them find appropriate support.
3. Offer a full spectrum of mental health care, beginning with preventive support
College students who are focused on academics, athletics, clubs, and other extracurricular activities often fail to make self-care a priority. But consistent stress, anxiousness, and/or lack of sleep, left unaddressed, can escalate to more serious mental and physical health conditions. Even getting poor sleep over time raises the risk for several health problems, including diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease.
Several colleges offer Calm to their student populations, allowing students to easily integrate self-care into their busy schedules. Using Calm, students can take just a few minutes between classes or during study hours to do a breathing exercise or short meditation or even take a quick mindful walk. They can select lo-fi or other music in the app to help them reduce stress and improve focus, or they can listen to wisdom about combating loneliness. And they can fall asleep faster and improve their sleep quality by listening to a favorite Calm Sleep Story.
Calm Health also allows students to specify their goals, such as improving relationships with others, improving performance, or building resilience. The app will recommend specific Calm programs they can use to work toward achieving their goals.
Finally, Calm can support college DEIB efforts by offering diverse student populations access to culturally relevant content narrated in native languages. Calm’s in-app narrator and instructor talent features 45% BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) representation, and Calm content supports seven native languages spoken across more than 190 countries.
As the mental health crisis worsens on college campuses, colleges, employers and health plans need to expand beyond reactive models that focus primarily on counseling or therapy and offer a full spectrum of support tailored to student needs. They can take a more preventive and proactive approach to supporting students at a crucial time in their development, helping them enter adulthood with healthier minds and bodies.
For more information on proactively supporting employee mental health and well-being, check out our pricing or connect with a Calm specialist today.
