Survey: Half of community college students report mental health problems

March 11, 2016

News Type:  Weekly Spark, Weekly Spark News

Inside Higher Ed

Community college students have a high rate of mental health problems, according to the results of a survey released recently. The Wisconsin HOPE Lab surveyed 4,000 students in seven states at 10 community colleges. Nearly half of these students had a recent or current mental health problem; 36 percent had depression and 29 percent had anxiety. These rates are higher than in four-year colleges, according to the report. The study also found that fewer than half of the students with a mental health problem were getting treatment. About 88 percent of community colleges do not have a licensed prescriber on staff or a contracted provider, according to the researchers. In addition, 57 percent do not have suicide prevention resources.

Spark Extra! Check out the full report: Too Distressed to Learn? Mental health among Community College Students.