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The Healthy Minds Study and the Virginia Healthy Minds Coalition

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(Photo Courtesy of the JMU Creative Media Library/opens new window)

The Healthy Minds Study is a national on-line survey of college student mental health. It was introduced in 2007 by the University of Michigan's School of Public Health, in partnership with the Survey Sciences Group. To date, about 300 campuses across the country have participated in this important research.

The Healthy Minds Study:

  • Examines a variety of mental health issues among college students, including depression, anxiety, suicidal thinking, disordered eating, substance use, self-injury and social support.
  • Provides data on help-seeking behavior and barriers to help-seeking, 
  • Informs planning of mental health policy, wellness education, campus-based mental health care and crisis intervention,
  • Examines the dynamics between mental health and other factors, such as academic performance and substance use,
  • Supports the development and evaluation of programs to promote wellness, teach early identification strategies and encourage help-seeking.

Some key findings to date:

  • Less than 50% of students with mental health problems receive treatment.
  • Mental health and treatment use vary significantly across campuses, although not across types of campus.
  • Although stigma is important, there are other key barriers to help-seeking.
  • Student mental health predicts GPA as well as the likelihood of dropping out.
  • About 25% of students come to campus with a mental health diagnosis.
  • About half of all students are “Flourishing”.

The Healthy Minds Study: 2021 Winter and Spring Data Report (PDF/.156 Megabytes)
A publicly available report which summarizes data that was collected from the Healthy Minds Study during the Winter of 2021.

Learn More at Healthy Minds Network.org (opens new window)

The Virginia Coalition:

In 2009, the Virginia Department of Health (VDH), in collaboration with the Institute for Innovation in Health and Human Services at James Madison University launched a study of “Campus Mental Health in the Commonwealth”. Thanks to financial support from VDH, the following Virginia campuses have participated in the Virginia Coalition.

2021
  • Norfolk State University
  • Old Dominion University
  • Radford University
  • Randolph-Macon College
  • University of Lynchburg
  • Virginia Commonwealth University
  • Virginia Tech
2017
  • James Madison University
  • Old Dominion University
  • Radford University
  • Randolph-Macon College
  • Virginia Commonwealth University
  • Virginia State University
2013
  • Emory and Henry College
  • James Madison University
  • Randolph-Macon College
  • Roanoke College
  • University of Richmond
  • University of Virginia
2011
  • College of William and Mary
  • Eastern Mennonite University
  • George Mason University
  • James Madison University
  • Liberty University
  • Randolph-Macon College
  • Roanoke College
  • University of Richmond
  • Virginia Wesleyan College
2009
  • Bridgewater College
  • George Mason University
  • James Madison University
  • Liberty University
  • Mary Baldwin College
  • Shenandoah University
  • University of Richmond
  • University of Virginia

For information on the Virgina Healthy Minds Coalition, or to learn more about findings from the Virginia Coalition, contact:
Danette Gibbs, Ph.D.
Executive Director
The Campus Suicide Prevention Center of Virginia
gibbsdc@jmu.edu ✉
540-568-5937 ☏