ACE has published a new brief to help guide higher education leaders on how to best support the higher education community and beyond as student mental health concerns on campuses continue to rise.

The brief, Six Considerations for Student Mental Health in Higher Education for the 2023-24 Academic Year, offers specific areas that deserve more attention and consideration by institutions. The authors are Hollie M. Chessman, director of research and practice, ACE Education Futures Lab, Armando Montero, and Tabatha Cruz, former Education Futures Lab associates.

“The challenges surrounding the mental health of college and university students continue to be prevalent for institutional leaders,” the authors wrote. These concerns have risen quickly in the past decade—the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that suicide is currently the second leading cause of death among college-aged students, and concerns have only worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Below are the six areas of focus for higher education leaders’ consideration. Read the brief for more details and insight:

1. Realize the impact of counseling center staffing and address turnover.
2. Cultivate degree pathways for aspiring mental health professionals, especially for students of color and LGBTQ+ students.
3. Build upon positive movements at the federal and state