About this Indicator
This indicator uses data from the Health Minds Study survey to show the percentage of students reporting reasons for not receiving mental health counseling, therapy, or medication in the past year, or in the case of students reporting some past-year treatment, reasons why they received fewer services than they would have otherwise received. The indicator is shown for five groups of students: (1) all survey respondents, (2) students without past-year treatment, (3) students with past-year treatment, (4) students who experienced moderate or severe depression (PHQ-9) or anxiety (GAD-7) during the past two weeks, and (5) students who reported seriously thinking about attempting suicide in the past 12 months.
Students may experience three types of barriers to accessing mental health services: (a) beliefs and attitudes related to stigma, self-reliance, or treatment efficacy; (b) structural and resource issues such as cost, difficulty finding services, scheduling challenges, and lack of time; and (c) a lack of perceived need for treatment despite meeting clinical criteria for a mental health condition.1 Understanding the specific mix of treatment barriers on college campuses can help institutions develop targeted strategies to improve access to mental health services, particularly for students with active symptoms. Colleges and universities have employed a variety of approaches to reduce barriers, including expanding telehealth counseling services, providing flexible scheduling and after-hours care, and implementing stigma-reduction and peer support programs.
Data Source
Healthy Minds Network. Healthy Minds Study - Student Survey.
Note. Institutional participation in the HMS is voluntary, self-selected, and periodic, leading to variation in representation across sectors, states, and time. As a result, estimates derived from the HMS survey reflect mental health conditions at specific participating institutions rather than institutions across the entire Midwest or nation. In 2024, 12,689 public four-year students responded to the survey, representing twelve public four-year institutions across six Midwest states: Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Nebraska, and Ohio.
This indicator was developed as part of a collaboration between MHEC and the Healthy Minds Network.
1Samlan, H., Shetty, A., & McWhirter, E. H. (2020). Gender and Racial-Ethnic Differences in Treatment Barriers among College Students with Suicidal Ideation. Journal of College Student Psychotherapy, 35(3), 272–289. https://doi.org/10.1080/87568225.2020.1734133