Statistics on College Student Mental Health (2023–2024)

1. General Mental Health Trends

  • 77% of college students reported experiencing moderate to serious psychological distress in the past year.
    Source: ACHA-NCHA III Fall 2022 Report
  • More than 50% of college students met the criteria for one or more mental health conditions in 2023.
    Source: Healthy Minds Network Annual Report

2. Anxiety & Depression

  • 36% of students screened positive for major depression.
  • 31% screened positive for an anxiety disorder.
  • Over 60% of students report feeling "overwhelming anxiety" during the school year.
    Source: Healthy Minds Study, ACHA, and NAMI Campus Report
 3. Suicidal Ideation and Self-Harm
  • 14.9% of students seriously considered suicide in the past year.
  • 2.5% reported a suicide attempt.
  • 27.3% engaged in self-harm at least once.
    Source: [The Healthy Minds Study 2023]
    CDC Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance 2021–2023

4. Loneliness and Social Disconnection

  • 67% of college students report feeling "very lonely" or "isolated" at least once in the past month.
  • First-year students are particularly at risk—especially those attending out-of-state or without strong peer groups.
    Source: [UCLA Loneliness Scale + Active Minds]

5. Academic Stress & Burnout

  • Over 80% of students say they feel overwhelmed by their academic workload.
  • 42% report that academic stress negatively impacts their mental health weekly or more often.
    Source: [ACHA & Frontiers in Psychology, 2022]
  • A 2023 study found freshmen had the highest rate of burnout across all class years.
    Source: Frontiers in Psychology – Student Burnout Study
 6. Campus Counseling Center Limitations
  • Over 70% of college counseling centers report being overwhelmed with student demand.
  • Average wait time for first counseling session: 2–4 weeks
  • Some universities saw a 40% increase in first-time counseling visits in 2023.
    Source: Inside Higher Ed: Campus Mental Health Demand

 7. Barriers to Seeking Help

  • 45% of students said they have not received needed mental health support.
  • Common barriers:
    • Cost or lack of insurance (25%)
    • Stigma or fear of judgment (32%)
    • Unaware of available services (15%)
      Source: Healthy Minds Study, 2023

What This Means

The numbers are more than just data—they represent real students, many of whom are silently struggling. As a parent, mentor, or someone offering support (like through SendThemLove.com), knowing these statistics gives us clarity on how serious the need is—and how powerful even small gestures of care can be.


 

Back to blog