Mental health, substance use, and wellbeing in higher education : supporting the whole student / Alan I. Leshner and Layne A. Scherer, editors ; Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use, and Wellbeing in STEMM Undergraduate and Graduate Education ; Board on Higher Education and Workforce, Policy and Global Affairs ; Board on Health Sciences Policy, Health and Medicine Division.

Includes bibliographical references.

Student wellbeing is foundational to academic success. One recent survey of postsecondary educators found that nearly 80 percent believed emotional wellbeing is a "very" or "extremely" important factor in student success. Studies have found the dropout rates for students with a diagnosed mental health problem range from 43 percent to as high as 86 percent. While dealing with stress is a normal part of life, for some students, stress can adversely affect their physical, emotional, and psychological health, particularly given that adolescence and early adulthood are when most mental illnesses are first manifested. In addition to students who may develop mental health challenges during their time in postsecondary education, many students arrive on campus with a mental health problem or having experienced significant trauma in their lives, which can also negatively affect physical, emotional, and psychological wellbeing. The nation's institutions of higher education are seeing increasing levels of mental illness, substance use and other forms of emotional distress among their students. Some of the problematic trends have been ongoing for decades. Some have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic consequences. Some are the result of long-festering systemic racism in almost every sphere of American life that are becoming more widely acknowledged throughout society and must, at last, be addressed. Mental Health, Substance Use, and Wellbeing in Higher Education lays out a variety of possible strategies and approaches to meet increasing demand for mental health and substance use services, based on the available evidence on the nature of the issues and what works in various situations. The recommendations of this report will support the delivery of mental health and wellness services by the nation's institutions of higher education.

This activity was supported by contracts between the National Academy of Sciences and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) under award HHSP2333201400020B, the National Institute on Mental Health (NIMH), the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) under award HHSN263201800029I. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of any organization or agency that provided support for the project.

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (viewed October 21. 2021).

1. Introduction -- 2. Mental health, substance use, and wellbeing in higher education in the United States -- 3. Environments to support wellbeing for all students -- 4. Clinical mental health and substance use services for students in higher education -- 5. Moving forward -- 6. A research agenda -- Appendix A: Committee biographies -- Appendix B: minority serving institutions -- Appendix C: acronyms and abbreviations -- Appendix D: the rate of student death from suicide from the big ten counseling centers: 2009-2018.

eBooks on EBSCOhost EBSCO eBook Subscription Academic Collection - Worldwide