Target student mental well-being

Abstract

Mental health and well-being are critical to student success in higher education and beyond but rarely get the attention they need. Colleges and universities in the United States have been seeing increases in mental illness and emotional distress among students for decades. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic and its social and economic consequences are accelerating these trends. Furthermore, renewed focus on systemic racism in many spheres of American life is highlighting the stresses and mental health consequences faced by students from traditionally underrepresented groups and by women who continue to suffer the lingering effects of sexism. The damaging consequences of these problems for students, their institutions, and a modern world that depends on a well-educated, healthy workforce demand a much better response. Promoting student mental health and emotional well-being on campus requires more than a well-functioning counseling center. It calls for a campus-wide commitment and coordinated action plan. For many institutions, accomplishing this will involve a major rethinking of their responsibilities to students.