Introduction
Mental health in higher education has emerged as a critical concern affecting students, faculty, and staff across institutions. Recent data indicates that over 60% of college students met criteria for at least one mental health problem during the 2020-21 academic year, with 41% considering dropping out primarily due to emotional stress and personal mental health challenges. In response, numerous working groups and initiatives have been established to address these pressing issues. These collaborative efforts aim to enhance mental health support services, reduce stigma, and create healthier campus environments. This article examines the structure, objectives, and impact of mental health working groups in higher education, along with the broader mental health landscape facing academic communities.
Mental Health Working Groups in Higher Education
Advance HE's Mental Wellbeing Expert Group
The Mental Wellbeing in Higher Education Expert Group serves as a collaborative body dedicated to supporting and promoting mental health among higher education students and staff. Established as an independent group initially housed at UUK and currently hosted by Advance HE, this organization aims to increase collaboration between different sectors, agencies, and professional groups responsible for mental wellbeing in higher education. The group achieves its mission through hosting conferences and discussions, collaborating in research, and publishing occasional works that serve as reference points for universities and external providers to influence policy on mental wellbeing issues.
The Expert Group's membership is drawn from organizations working directly with mental health and wellbeing in higher education, including AMOSSHE, the NUS, Nightline, Heads of University Counselling Services (HUCS), BACP Universities and Colleges, the Student Health Association (SHA), the University Mental Health Advisers Network (UMHAN), the Royal College of Psychiatrists, and Advance HE. This diverse representation ensures that multiple perspectives and expertise inform the group's initiatives.
A key activity of the Expert Group is collaboration with Advance HE to support greater synergies between student support and welfare services and Teaching and Learning units. This integrated approach recognizes the interconnected nature of academic success and mental wellbeing. The group also organizes the annual Mental Wellbeing in HE Conference, scheduled for May 15, 2024, at Horizon Leeds, which addresses mental wellbeing across all aspects of higher education.
CICU's Mental Health and Student Wellness Working Groups
The Council of Independent Colleges and Universities (CICU) established a Mental Health Working Group in 2021 to address issues impacting student wellness. This working group successfully identified prominent challenges facing institutions and developed several targeted responses, including offering QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) suicide prevention training to CICU members and creating Mental Health Awareness Webinars. These presentations focus on eliminating the stigma surrounding mental health and equalizing the treatment of physical and mental health in athletics.
Building on these initial efforts, CICU expanded its initiatives in 2024 by forming the Student Wellness Working Group. This evolution reflects the growing recognition that comprehensive mental health support requires sustained institutional commitment and multifaceted approaches. The working groups' activities demonstrate how collaborative efforts can lead to practical resources and training that directly address mental health challenges within higher education settings.
Mental Health Challenges in Higher Education
Student Mental Health Crisis
Research indicates that colleges across the nation are facing a significant mental health crisis among students. A study of 373 campuses found that during the 2020-21 academic year, over 60% of college students met the criteria for at least one mental health problem. This widespread mental health distress directly impacts academic performance, with a 2023 Gallup and Lumina Foundation study revealing that 41% of students consider dropping out of college. Emotional stress and personal mental health were cited as the top two reasons for considering departure.
The connection between mental health issues and student retention has significant implications for both students and institutions. A report from the American Council on Education emphasizes that behavioral health problems negatively affect student retention, particularly for students from historically marginalized groups. This has economic consequences for students and institutions alike, as institutional investments in student mental health likely generate increased tuition revenues and higher earnings for students who attain a college degree.
Faculty and Staff Mental Health Challenges
Mental health concerns extend beyond students to include faculty and staff members in higher education. Educators across higher education are experiencing burnout at alarming rates. A survey of faculty found that 33 percent are "often" or "always" physically exhausted, 38 percent are emotionally exhausted, and 40 percent are worn out. More than half of those surveyed report feeling this way every day. These statistics highlight the pervasive nature of mental health challenges within academic communities.
The mental health of non-teaching staff is similarly affected by factors such as workload, staff shortages, and institutional instability, as evidenced by a 2023 Brazilian study. This widespread stress, if left unaddressed, can lead to depression and anxiety disorders. The situation is complicated by the fact that faculty and staff—who may be untrained and overwhelmed themselves—are often expected to respond to students with mental health needs, creating additional strain on already stretched resources.
The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated these challenges, with lingering impacts contributing to the mental health crisis in higher education. Faculty and staff have grown more comfortable discussing their mental and physical health since the pandemic began, and they are increasingly unwilling to accept overwhelming stress, expectations of being always available, or the pressure to "do more with less."
Institutional Approaches to Mental Health Support
Mental Health Teams and Intervention Frameworks
Some institutions of higher education have established dedicated mental health teams to address the growing need for support. The Jed Foundation highlights Campus Behavioral Intervention Teams (BIT) that "promote student, faculty and staff success and campus safety by facilitating the identification and support of individuals who demonstrate behaviors that may be early warning signs of possible troubled, disruptive or violent behavior." These teams represent a structured approach to mental health support that can help identify and address issues before they escalate.
The Equity in Mental Health Framework serves as another valuable resource for institutions seeking to promote mental health and wellbeing among diverse student populations, including Black, Indigenous, and people of color, as well as students who are sexual and gender minorities. This framework acknowledges that mental health support must be culturally competent and accessible to all students, recognizing that the stigma of mental illness can be particularly powerful for many young people from marginalized groups.
The U.S. Surgeon General's Framework for Workplace Mental Health & Well-Being
The U.S. Surgeon General's Framework for Workplace Mental Health & Well-Being (2022) has emerged as a valuable resource for addressing mental health in higher education settings. Workplace well-being is one of six primary priorities for the Office of the Surgeon General, and this framework provides evidence-based approaches for creating mentally healthy work environments. Its adoption by higher education institutions reflects growing recognition that faculty and staff mental health is integral to institutional success and student wellbeing.
This framework offers a structured approach to addressing mental health that aligns with the changing expectations of higher education professionals. Since the start of the pandemic, faculty and staff have grown less willing to accept that their work lives should be their entire lives, and they are increasingly seeking better balance and support. The Surgeon General's Framework provides a foundation for institutions to respond to these evolving expectations and create environments that prioritize mental health and wellbeing.
Addressing Stigma and Promoting Mental Health Awareness
Eliminating Mental Health Stigma
Higher education institutions have long grappled with deep stigma around mental illness. Faculty, whose livelihoods depend on their ability to be intellectually present and exceptional, have often hesitated to acknowledge mental health concerns due to fears about professional repercussions. Similarly, students may avoid seeking help due to concerns about how their mental health might be perceived by peers or faculty.
Working groups and initiatives across higher education are actively working to eliminate these barriers. CICU's Mental Health Awareness Webinars specifically focus on eliminating the stigma surrounding mental health, recognizing that stigma prevents many individuals from seeking the support they need. By normalizing conversations about mental health and sharing information about available resources, these efforts help create campus cultures where mental health is treated with the same seriousness as physical health.
Mental Health Training and Education
Training programs play a crucial role in building campus capacity to address mental health challenges. QPR suicide prevention training, offered by CICU to its members, equips faculty and staff with the skills to recognize warning signs of suicide and intervene effectively. This type of training empowers community members to respond appropriately to mental health crises while also reducing the sense of overwhelm that can accompany unprepared encounters with distressed students.
The development of mental health awareness webinars and other educational resources helps normalize conversations about mental health and provides practical information for supporting oneself and others. These initiatives often address both the identification of mental health concerns and the appropriate pathways to support, creating a more knowledgeable and responsive campus community.
The Role of Faculty and Staff in Supporting Student Mental Health
Building Capability to Support Emotional Wellbeing
It takes everyone on campus to contribute to an environment that fosters student wellbeing, protects students from developing mental health issues, and helps facilitate access to services. Faculty and staff, including graduate student teaching assistants and residence hall assistants, have particularly important roles to play given their regular contact with students.
Institutions are increasingly recognizing the need to develop the capability of faculty and staff to support student emotional wellbeing. This involves not only training in recognizing mental health concerns but also developing skills for appropriate response and referral. By building this capacity across campus communities, institutions create a more robust network of support that can identify and address mental health needs early and effectively.
Creating Inclusive Campus Environments
The mental health and wellbeing of students are deeply influenced by the campus environment. Factors such as workload, institutional culture, and the quality of interpersonal relationships all contribute to student stress and mental health outcomes. Faculty and staff play a crucial role in shaping these environments through their interactions with students and their influence on institutional practices and policies.
Efforts to improve mental health in higher education therefore extend beyond individual support services to include broader initiatives to create more inclusive, supportive campus cultures. This includes examining academic workload expectations, communication practices, and campus policies that may inadvertently contribute to stress or mental health challenges. By addressing these systemic factors, institutions can create environments that promote mental health and wellbeing for all members of the community.
Conclusion
Mental health working groups and initiatives represent a crucial response to the growing mental health challenges in higher education. These collaborative efforts, exemplified by Advance HE's Mental Wellbeing Expert Group and CICU's Mental Health and Student Wellness Working Groups, facilitate coordinated approaches to addressing mental health concerns across campus communities. The statistics clearly demonstrate the urgency of these efforts, with significant percentages of students experiencing mental health problems and faculty and staff facing burnout at alarming rates.
Institutional approaches to mental health support are becoming increasingly comprehensive, incorporating dedicated teams like Campus Behavioral Intervention Teams, frameworks such as the Equity in Mental Health Framework, and evidence-based approaches like the U.S. Surgeon General's Framework for Workplace Mental Health & Well-Being. These initiatives recognize that mental health support must be culturally competent, accessible to all, and integrated into the fabric of campus life.
Efforts to eliminate stigma and promote mental health awareness remain essential components of creating supportive campus environments. By normalizing conversations about mental health and providing training to faculty and staff, institutions can build communities where mental health is prioritized and support is readily available.
As higher education continues to navigate complex challenges related to mental health, the collaborative efforts of working groups and the commitment of institutions to creating supportive environments will be increasingly important. The wellbeing of students, faculty, and staff is not only a moral imperative but also essential to academic success and institutional vitality.