While May marks Mental Health Awareness Month, we know higher education leaders are thinking about student mental health every month of the year. Improving and expanding mental health services has been a top priority on college campuses in recent years, but studies show that these efforts may still be missing the mark: a recent survey found that 54% of students are not satisfied with the mental health services their campus provides, and 50% of students with a mental health condition have not accessed care.
Fostering student mental health and well-being has always been a top priority for us at YOU at College, which is why we built YOU for Students: a comprehensive, personalized well-being and student success digital tool. YOU for Students is grounded in our awareness of the complexity of the student experience: a student’s academic and career success is inextricably linked with their mental and physical health, their overall well-being, and their sense of belonging and connection on campus. The YOU platform provides students with 24/7 access to resources that support them in each of these areas; through evidence-based articles, self-assessments, skill-building tools, student testimonials, and integrated campus resources, students can find everything they need in one easy-to-use, personalized digital tool. As one first-year, first-generation student said, “YOU serves as a hub of resources that can be used to explore how to manage any stress or concern related to personal, academic, and financial life. The articles, videos, and guides [offer] new perspectives, and strategies to overcome problems.”
For the last several years, the YOU at College team has conducted an annual survey to assess the impact of YOU for students, faculty, and staff. This anonymous survey allows users to reflect on the ways YOU supports them and share feedback about how we can improve the tool – allowing us to take a student-centered approach to enhancing the platform. The survey data is clear: YOU provides the comprehensive support students need to navigate the ups and downs of college life. Download our 2024-2025 Impact Snapshot to learn more about the outcomes connected with using YOU.
And, in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, we decided to take a closer look at this survey data, alongside user analytics, to better understand the role the YOU platform plays specifically in supporting student mental health. Overall, among student users of the YOU platform…
- 79% say using YOU supports their mental health.
- 79% say using YOU supports their well-being.
- 72% say using YOU helps them manage stress.
- 76% say that having access to YOU makes them feel like well-being is a priority at their institution.
More specifically, students were asked to reflect on the ways the YOU platform supports them, and they identified a number of outcomes that support their mental health. Students shared that YOU helps them…
- Proactively check in on how they are doing
- Practice self-care
- Reflect on their priorities
- Develop a growth mindset
- Learn about different avenues for support
YOU also helps students build the tangible skills they need to succeed in school. This year, 81% of students reported that they’ve learned a helpful tip or skill from the YOU platform, and 92% have practiced that tip or skill. The skills students learn from YOU may be directly related to mental health, such as skills for managing stress and anxiety, or they may be related to other topics that impact their mental health, like academics, relationships, or sleep. Both the self-report data from the student survey and the user analytics from the YOU platform speak to the actionable impact that YOU can have on student mental health.
The most popular skills on the site this year were:
- Mange Your Time
- Build A Budget
- Identify Your Strengths
- Curb Anxiety & Stress
- Relax Before Bed
- Garner Gratitude
And the top skill areas students endorsed learning were:
- Stress & Anxiety
- Sleep
- Physical Health
- Loneliness & Depression
These trends are also echoed in the goals, priorities, and skills students engaged with on the YOU platform, with a specific emphasis on de-stressing and stress management – the most popular goal category and second-most popular priority set by students this year.
And, while campus leaders navigate the rapidly changing higher education climate, particularly in supporting historically marginalized student groups, we know one thing remains true: students from diverse backgrounds often experience higher rates of mental health needs than their peers. That’s why we’re proud to share that 79% of students feel that the content and resources on the YOU platform are relevant to their identities – a 10% increase since 2023.
This Mental Health Awareness Month, we hope you’ll take the opportunity to reflect on the ways your campus supports student mental health. Where are you excelling, and where could you improve? What trends can you identify from your service-utilization data to better understand your students’ needs? And how can you leverage nation-wide trends to better support students on your campus?
If the information in this article is resonating with you, please reach out to inquiries@gritdigitalhealth.com or schedule a demo with our team today.
