Since 2014, Wolf Pack college students have made their voices heard with greater than 16,000 college students nationwide by the Healthy Minds Study. The information gathered within the preliminary research and follow-up research in 2016, 2018 and 2022 confirmed the scholars’ psychological well being tendencies and wishes. This confirmed the place the University might enhance psychological well being companies and the way Counseling Services might serve the scholar group higher.

“We need as many students as possible to complete this survey to get representative mental health survey data,” Psychologist and Director of Counseling Services Yani Dickens said. “This data helps us accurately assess the mental health needs of our students to address their mental health needs with existing resources, and to seek additional resources if we cannot meet our students’ current and future needs. Representative survey data helps us improve access to mental health services.”

The HMS survey screens for anxiousness, despair, consuming problems, suicidal ideation, loneliness and different points, along with gathering data on perceived stigma about psychological well being issues. Participants are requested about their present utilization of and attitudes or beliefs about psychological well being companies typically and about particular University sources. Results from surveys like this one have helped to determine areas of want, allocate sources and advocate for college students.

This 12 months’s survey will embody questions on college students’ wants and pursuits particularly areas, resembling outreach and remedy applications like those provided by Counseling Services, together with programming on utilizing coping expertise and artwork to handle feelings and stress. Students may even have the prospect to specific any boundaries to finishing their levels and the way has psychological well being points affected their tutorial efficiency.

“Past results showed that the prevalence of mental health problems among our students was greater than those at our peer institutions,” Dickens mentioned. “This data helped our students decide to increase the student counseling fee, allowing us to grow our services to better meet their needs.”

The 2024 survey will launch on Feb. 20 and can run by March 22. All University college students are inspired to verify their e-mail inboxes for an e-mail with the topic “Make your voice heard with the Healthy Minds Study!” Students are reminded to finish the survey on a laptop computer, pill or laptop to view the questions higher. It is vital to notice that college students ought to begin and end the survey on the identical gadget because the responses is not going to be saved between units. Participants have an opportunity to win reward playing cards starting from $20 to $500. All information collected is totally confidential and anonymized. The Healthy Minds Study is carried out by third-party principal investigators on the University of Michigan, the place it originated, the University of California-Los Angeles, Wayne State University and Boston University.

“Please complete the Healthy Minds Study survey to help us determine the mental health needs of our students and staff,” Dickens mentioned. “Your participation really helps!”