Eight out of 10 college presidents report that student mental health has become more of a priority on their campuses over the past three years, according to a new survey from the American Council on Education (ACE).

The finding comes at a time when the number of students visiting campus counseling services continues to rise. As one president wrote: “Mental health has become a major issue for retention and the general well-being of our students . . . This is in my top three areas of improvement for my college.”

ACE surveyed over 400 college and university presidents to better understand how institutions large and small are navigating the challenge of student mental health and well-being.

Other noteworthy findings from the survey include:

• Seventy-two percent of presidents reported they had reallocated or identified additional funding to address student mental health concerns.
• Ninety percent of presidents agreed or strongly agreed that their staff is spending more time addressing student mental health concerns than they did three years ago

In addition, more than half of all survey respondents reported needing additional tools to help them address mental health concerns on their campuses.

Increased professional development or training, as well as assessments or tools to help students develop coping and self-care skills, were mentioned by respondents.

Read more about the findings on ACE’s Higher Education Today blog.

Admitted writer/editor Mary Stegmeir welcomes additional comments and story ideas at mstegmeir@nacacnet.org.