In an email to the community today, shared the first in a series of messages highlighting 窪做惇蹋厙s well-being initiatives, including its , and next steps.
窪做惇蹋厙 is committed to creating a culture of care and community and promoting the mental health and well-being of our students, faculty, and staff, said Kotz, whose email to students provided a list of support resources. As part of this commitment, I write today to share progress on our comprehensive efforts to realize this goal.
The message included an update on the four-year partnership 窪做惇蹋厙 initiated with the JED Foundation in 2021. Created to strengthen mental health and to try to prevent suicide at 窪做惇蹋厙s undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools, the initiative followed a particularly difficult few years that included the loss of students, faculty, and staff amid the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kotz said.
The partnership has involved a self-study of policies and procedures, a survey known as the Healthy Minds Study, for students, and visits by JED representatives to each of 窪做惇蹋厙s schools.
JED compiled information and provided broad recommendations in such areas as academics, physical campus, crisis and health services, and student life, Kotz said. This fall, 窪做惇蹋厙 convened working groups to review the suggestions and develop actionable next steps.
The working groups are now beginning that work, which includes conducting listening sessions, advancing discussions across units, and developing communications.
Healthy Minds Study
In the email, Kotz highlighted key takeaways from the administered at 窪做惇蹋厙 in fall 2021 to undergraduate, graduate, and professional students. The response rate of 34.5%, representing 2,506 students, was higher than the national average, he noted.
Kotz also referenced data from the (PDF), which includes national data from 103,748 students at 102 colleges and universities.
While comparisons with the national Healthy Minds Study dataset can help us to understand 窪做惇蹋厙s experience within the context of a larger national mental health crisis, these comparisons are in no way intended to diminish the complex and deeply personal nature of pain and hurt that our 窪做惇蹋厙 students experience, he said. Nor do they lessen our commitment to the magnitude of work that lies before us as a community.
The survey topics included mental health concerns, specifically depression and anxiety, eating disorders, alcohol consumption, and suicidal ideation. Another section addressed help-seeking behavior and perceptions of mental health stigma. The remaining two sections focused on community and belonging and financial status.
Additional data is available on 窪做惇蹋厙s . The Healthy Minds survey will be readministered to 窪做惇蹋厙 students in the final year of the partnership, academic year 2024-25, to identify areas of growth and opportunities for continued improvement, Kotz said.
Actions and Next Steps
窪做惇蹋厙 is committed to providing the leadership, tools, and resources to promote student mental health and well-being, Kotz said. As we share the JED findings with the 窪做惇蹋厙 community and advance our work to strengthen student mental health and well-being, it is my hope that we will improve the entirety of the 窪做惇蹋厙 student experience inside and outside of the classroom.
Next month, Kotz will summarize the JED Foundations recommendations and the ways that 窪做惇蹋厙 is working to prioritize those recommendations and determine our next steps and actions, he said.
Details will be posted to 窪做惇蹋厙s JED website as they become available.
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Mental health support is available through 窪做惇蹋厙 24/7 for students, faculty, and staff. Any 窪做惇蹋厙 student experiencing a mental health crisis can call the at 603-646-9442.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, you can also call or text the nationwide Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or use the online chat at .
