Consequences of Student Mental Health Issues
Mental health problems can affect many areas of students’ lives,
reducing their quality of life, academic achievement, physical health, and satisfaction with the college experience,
and negatively impacting relationships with friends and family members. These issues can also have long-term
consequences for students, affecting their future employment, earning potential, and overall health.1
Consequences for the Student
Mental health problems can affect a student's energy level, concentration, dependability, mental ability, and
optimism, hindering performance.2 Research suggests that depression is associated with lower grade point
averages, and that co-occurring depression and anxiety can increase this association.2 Depression has also been
linked to dropping out of school.2
Many college students report that mental health difficulties interfere with their studies. On the American College
Health Association 2015 survey, college students identified the following mental health issues as negatively
impacting their academic performance within the last 12 months:3
Stress (30% of students)
Anxiety (22%)
Sleep difficulties (20%)
Depression (14%)
Consequences for Others
Peers, family members, faculty, and staff may be personally affected out of concern for these students.
Depression and anxiety can have harmful effects on relationships and work productivity.
Suicide and suicidal thoughts can affect the larger campus community.
Roommates, peers, faculty, and staff also experience profound grief over student suicides and suicidal
behavior.
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Consequences for Campuses
Campuses feel the burden when students with mental health difficulties do poorly on course work and drop
out of school.
Colleges and universities must be prepared to address the psychological impact of suicides on other
students, as well as on teachers and staff.4
Poor student retention can mean losses in tuition, fees, and alumni donations.
Consequences for Communities and the Larger Society
The community is negatively affected when students are unable to finish their degrees and contribute
valuable skills in a competitive job market.
One study found that five percent of students do not finish their education due to psychiatric disorders and
estimated that 4.29 million people would have graduated from college had they not been experiencing such
disorders.5
References
1. Eisenberg, D., Gollust, S. E., Golberstein, E., & Hefner, J. L. (2007). Prevalence and correlates of
depression, anxiety, and suicidality among university students. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 77(4),
534–542.
2. Eisenberg, D., Downs, M., & Golberstein, S. (2009). Stigma and help-seeking for mental health among
college students. Medical Care Research and Review, 66(5), 522–541.
3. American College Health Association. (2015). National College Health Assessment II: Spring 2015
reference group executive summary. Hanover, MD: Author. Retrieved from http://www.achancha.org/reports_ACHA-NCHAII.html [1].
4. Meilman, P. W., & Hall, T. M. (2006). Aftermath of tragic events: The development and use of community
support meetings on a university campus. Journal of American College Health, 54(6), 382–384.
5. Kessler, R. C., Foster, C. L., Saunders, W. B., & Stang, P. E. (1995). Social consequences of psychiatric
disorders, I: Educational attainment. American Journal of Psychiatry, 152(7), 1026–1032.
Links within this resource
[1] http://www.acha-ncha.org/reports_ACHA-NCHAII.html
Printed on 10/21/2020 from https://www.sprc.org/colleges-universities/consequences
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