Managing relationships, finances, time, and health choices can be overwhelming for students.Credit: Getty
There is a mental health emergency brewing on campuses around the world. Anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and self-harm have increased among college students in the past decade, straining university resources (see ‘Mental illness on the rise’).
Nearly two-thirds of students in the global survey1 Among 72,288 first-year college students who said they had experienced symptoms at some point in their lives consistent with at least one mental illness. These include mood disorders, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, and substance abuse. More than half of them reported symptoms in the past year.
The future of universities
Our research in Brazil, Canada and the United Kingdom is consistent with these trends2–4. Our experiences as academics, clinicians and advocates have shown us how untreated mental disorders can hamper a person’s psychosocial and academic development. Often, this ends in tragedy.
However, globally, only 28% of students with a mental health problem who could benefit from support actually access it.5 – With inequality for disadvantaged and at-risk groups. For example, the proportion of students receiving aid falls to only 14% in low- and middle-income countries5. One study in the US found that although the proportion of students with symptoms who sought help rose from 40.7% in 2013 to 50.2% in the 2020-2021 school year, the only statistically significant increase was among students from a white ethnic background. Help-seeking rates among people from other ethnic groups remain mostly unchanged, despite increases in common mental health conditions.6.
Universities, along with governments, academics and healthcare providers, must do more to develop coordinated, sustainable and effective mental health support for students in their care.
Source: Healthy Minds Network
Reasons for the rise
College students are particularly vulnerable to mental health challenges. According to the 2025 report7 According to the World Health Organization, mental disorders are rising fastest among those between the ages of 20 and 29, the age group most represented among college students. Many factors play into this increase.
The transition to university is a pivotal time in a young person’s psychological, social and biological development. College students often struggle with managing peer and family relationships, finances, time, and healthy lifestyle choices. All of these challenges are associated with symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression8. College is more academically demanding than high school, and distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic has been associated with learning delays and challenges adjusting to college, especially among students who, as research describes, have lower socioeconomic backgrounds.9.
A survey of 872 researchers found that rates of postdoctoral depression and anxiety are on the rise
Young people today are also deeply engaged in and constantly connected to unfolding news. Social media exposes them to a deluge of crises – from geopolitical conflicts to climate-related threats – that can heighten their anxiety about the world and their future.
In our view, universities often fail to support the academic success of students from historically disadvantaged backgrounds, despite working hard to facilitate their enrollment. The interplay of race, gender, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, and political and cultural views contribute to students’ mental health risks.
For example, students from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds and their parents who did not attend university can find themselves facing unfamiliar academic standards and juggling study with responsibilities at home. Students from minority groups are more likely to face harassment, bias, and exclusion on campus than others10. They are more likely to experience childhood adversity, financial stress, and limited social support11.
Among students, low-income, transgender, non-heterosexual women are 6.2 times more likely to have major anxiety and 8.6 times more likely to have major depression than high-income, white, cisgender, heterosexual men, according to a study conducted in Brazil.12. But stigma and cultural barriers can make it difficult for people from minority groups to navigate institutional systems and seek help6,11. Many campuses still lack evidence-based and culturally appropriate services to support these educational and mental health needs8.
Perfect storm
Addressing this rise in mental disorders requires funding for psychological support and research, but this is chronically underfunded globally. Average government spending on mental health is just US$2.7 per person, representing just 2% of total health spending worldwide (see go.nature.com/4pzafad).
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University health care and mental health services are often understaffed13 We need more mental health professionals8. Despite their presence in higher education institutions, such student services have not typically embraced a culture of learning – collecting data to use and learn from it, and embedding research into practice. Such a shift can ensure efficiency and proactive (rather than reactive) care. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, health systems collected data to quickly develop forecasting dashboards and telehealth-enabled monitoring models that helped manage increases in demand.14.