Across the United States, and around the world, students and their families dream of creating a life for themselves following completion of a degree program with hopes of securing a promising future and contributing to society. It is a dream most of us have and a dream that is often reinforced throughout culture at large.

There is preparation around identifying a program of study, researching schools to attend, locating financial resources and rearranging one’s life to step into one of the biggest decisions in life; attending college. Colleges and universities offer orientation and other services to support students in getting prepared to attend their educational institution, however not many schools discuss mental illness as a part of their preparatory services.

Would offering information about the realities of mental health better prepare students and their support systems for what may lie ahead? Would offering information better equip students with resources and awareness should a student encounter mental health experiences directly or indirectly? Untreated and undiagnosed mental health conditions impact academic success, student drop-out rates and the economic future of students, communities, and universities.

Research reveals a negative ecological and systemic impact of student drop-out rates on families, universities, the labor market, and medical systems to name a few. Universities and colleges can thwart these challenges by integrating mental health throughout their mission, vision, and institution and integrate services to better address the unacceptable rates of students left behind.

The concept of a 'whole university community' supports mental health across the entire university to include students, faculty, staff, and leaders. This idea encompasses supporting mental health and wellbeing practices daily that focus more on prevention rather than risk and regulation.

Whole university communities include policy changes that allow the university to take responsibility for everyone’s mental health involved in the community. Those who support students must also be in a positive state of mental health and wellbeing. Creating this intentional university culture looks at the interplay between where students live, their learning, access to support, a sense of community and belonging; not just services provided by a stand-alone specialist team. This would require revisiting and redefining the mission of the university and the function of the departments and services within the school to adequately respond to the mental health needs and concerns of students, faculty, and staff. Mental health and wellbeing would need to be integrated into all aspects of the university from design of curricula and assessment to building into the school culture and environment. Student success and wellbeing would be the responsibility of the entire university not just assigned leaders.

Most university mental health services lack structure and solely focus on undergraduate students. A whole university community concept would include all persons connected to the university to include staff, commuter students, online students, post-graduate, and graduate students. Post-graduate students often struggle within the first few years following graduation as they transition from student to career, partly due to lack of support and structure.

Concepts within a Whole University Community

1) Learning: Students will be provided skills and strategies to develop insight to better manage mental health and wellbeing now and in the future. This learning would be embedded into curriculum, pedagogy, assessment, inclusivity, and academic integration. Students would be provided education and training on topics such as imposter syndrome, perfectionism, and academic anxiety. Transition periods are deemed as high stress periods for first year students, transfer students, returning students, student veterans, matured students, graduate and post-graduate students, and for all students returning from breaks. During these periods students can experience psychological distress, anxiety, depression, sleep disturbance, isolation, lowered self-esteem, change in eating habits, and suicidal ideation. This is a period where students may be at a higher risk for mental challenges, drop-out, and academic and social challenges.

2) Support: Sharing information is vital for student and university success. Providing information to family, spouses, communities, and people in the lives of students could serve to provide better school success and mental health. Campuses should align services to respond to students and staff experiencing mental health and provide support for issues that can impact mental health (i.e., finances, disability, cultural identity, religion).

3) Work: Staff wellbeing is important for the good of the university, staff development, and workplace culture. This includes full-time staff and students who also work within the university. Interventions should be in place to support staff wellbeing and those experiencing mental health challenges. Preventive resources should include training, workshops, and wellness activities.

4) Live: Universities should include proactive interventions that provide mentally healthy environments and residential accommodations. Living environments within universities should be more than a place to eat and sleep, but also a place of belonging, meaning, safety, connection, and a place to relax and restore. Ensuring this type of living within university living provides a culture and environment to support balanced mental health. This would include providing an extension of the university living environment to students who commute, online students, graduate students, and other students who do not live on campus. Social integration, belonging, use of the physical environment including use of green spaces and assured campus safety while moving through the physical campus environment are equally important to supporting a whole campus culture.

5) Other Focus Areas: A whole university culture should be inclusive and include intersectional mental health assessment, resources, interventions, provide adequate information, and involve ongoing research for best practices to support everyone engaged with the school. Visible, transparent leaders committed to improving mental health and wellbeing should be accessible to both students, faculty, and staff. Campuses should allow students and staff to provide feedback and have involvement in developing mental health strategies and wellness resources. Campuses can assure there is collaboration and communication across and between student support teams, academic staff, student support services, and other professional services.

Article Topics

Military Friendly Institutions Research on Student Veterans Serving Military in HigherEd Veterans Academic Success Workplace Inclusion

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