The Jed Foundation (JED) sheds light on how fraternities impact mental health on college campuses and offers recommendations to national fraternity leadership, administrators, and student leaders for enhancing mental health on college campuses, both inside and outside of fraternities.
Fraternities have a substantial influence — both positive and negative — on college culture in the United States. That influence comes with benefits and challenges for members and the larger campus community. Social fraternities include community-service requirements that benefit the communities they are part of and offer social and career benefits, but fraternity culture can also promote heavy drinking, sexual assault, and hazing — issues that can harm the mental health and well-being of both fraternity members and other students on campus.
The report combines two novel studies, literature reviews, and data analysis. This research highlights the complex effects of fraternity membership on mental health among members and the campuses they impact and offers recommendations for improving mental health supports and promoting emotional well-being in fraternities and campuswide.