New Data: College Students Want to Push for Mental Health Reform, But Few Know the Policy Issues

(WASHINGTON) – Active Minds, the largest youth mental health nonprofit in the U.S., in close collaboration with leading higher education virtual health provider TimelyCare, released new data following a survey of approximately 1,100 U.S. college and university students that sheds light on students’ interest in raising awareness about mental health and their desire to advocate for mental health policies at the local, state, and federal levels.

With three in 10 college students reporting severe psychological distress, this report urges higher education leaders to capitalize on students’ interests and inspire students to lead action to improve mental health on campus.

Given that 41 million Gen Z members (ages 18-27) will be eligible to vote in the November election – eight million of them for the first time – these key takeaways are as timely as they are telling:

• Almost three-quarters (73.6%) of college students feel it is important to raise awareness about mental health, but only 42.5% of students plan to invest time and effort into helping people talk more openly about it.
• Two-thirds (66.4%) of college students are interested in voting in local, state, and federal elections for leaders who support mental health policies, but over half (51.1%) of college students are unfamiliar with the policies that support mental health.
• Only about half (54.2%) of college students report that their institution provides adequate mental health resources for students, and only about one-third (34.2%) of college students know how to help their college or university be a place where people feel comfortable talking about mental health.

“Young adults are driven to inform, support and advocate for policies that have the potential to affect mental health,” said Alison Malmon, founder and executive director of Active Minds. “This generation is more likely to engage in advocacy, but our data reveals that students may be limited by a lack of experience talking about mental health or mobilizing with their peers. We can rewrite the mental health story on campus by helping students build skills so they can confidently share their stories, ideate around shared solutions, collaborate with student groups and leadership, and work together to address campus-specific mental health needs.”

“Colleges and universities have a special role in not only embracing but also nurturing student ideas to promote campus-wide mental health. To this end, there need to be opportunities for open dialogue about mental health and well-being,” emphasized Dr. Jerry Walker, executive director of mental health services at TimelyCare. “TimelyCare is pleased to collaborate with Active Minds to transform the conversation around mental health and support students to be well and thrive in all aspects of their lives.”

Active Minds and TimelyCare surveyed college students in February to understand how they value and prioritize mental health on individual, interpersonal, community, and national levels. Student perceptions of mental health, for themselves and others, shape their college experience and are crucial for their engagement, sense of belonging, retention, and degree completion. This study yields insights into college students’ interest in awareness building and advocacy around mental health, which reinforces Active Minds’ efforts to empower mental health advocates and drive lasting societal change in how mental health is prioritized.