The Campus Suicide Prevention Center of Virginia :: Harrisonbug

The Healthy Minds Study and the Virginia Healthy Minds Coalition

The Healthy Minds Study is a national on-line survey of college student mental health. It was introduced in 2007 by the University of Michigan’s School of Public Health, in partnership with the Center for Student Studies. To date, nearly 50 campuses across the country have begun participation in this important research.

The Healthy Minds Study:

Examines a variety of mental health issues among college students, including depression, anxiety, suicidal thinking, disordered eating, substance abuse, self-injury and social support.
Provides data on help-seeking behavior and barriers to help-seeking,
Informs planning of mental health policy, wellness education, campus-based mental health care and crisis intervention,
Examines the dynamics between mental health and other factors, such as academic performance and substance use,
Supports the development and evaluation of programs to promote wellness, teach early identification strategies and encourage help-seeking.

Some key findings to date:

Less than 50% of students with mental health problems receive treatment.
Mental health and treatment use vary significantly across campuses, although not across types of campus.
Although stigma is important, there are other key barriers to help-seeking.
Student mental health predicts GPA as well as the likelihood of dropping out.
About 25% of students come to campus with a mental health diagnosis.
About half of all students are “Flourishing”.

The Virginia Coalition: In 2009, the Virginia Department of Health (VDH), in collaboration with the Institute for Innovation in Health and Human Services at James Madison University launched a study of “Campus Mental Health in the Commonwealth.” Eight Virginia colleges and universities participated, including:

George Mason University
Bridgewater College
The University of Virginia
Shenandoah University
Liberty University
James Madison University
Mary Baldwin College
The University of Richmond

VDH is again sponsoring a Virginia consortiom for the 2011 administration of the Healthy Minds Study. The 2011 Virginia schools include:

James Madison University
The University of Richmond
The College of William and Mary
Liberty University
Virginia Wesleyan College
Eastern Mennonite University
Roanoke College
Randolph-Macon College
George Mason University

Data will be collected in the spring semester of 2011; schools will receive their individual reports in July, 2011.

For more information, go to: http://www.healthymindsstudy.net/

You can also contact the project coordinator:
Jane Wiggins, Ph.D.
Program Director
The Campus Suicide Prevention Center of Virginia
540-568-8901
wigginjr@jmu.edu
www.CampusSuicidePrevention.org