Supporting Student Mental Health: Current Campus Trends and the Role of Standards

May is Mental Health Awareness Month—a time to recognize the growing mental health needs of students and reaffirm our commitment to fostering campus environments where well-being is a shared priority.

Across the country, colleges and universities continue to face increasing demand for mental health support. National surveys report rising rates of anxiety, depression, and stress among students, with many citing academic pressure, financial stress, social isolation, and identity-based discrimination as contributing factors. At the same time, counseling centers are often under-resourced, leading institutions to reimagine how mental health is supported across departments and through cross-functional collaboration.

A Holistic Approach to Mental Health
In response to these challenges, campuses are increasingly shifting from siloed mental health services to institution-wide strategies that emphasize prevention, early identification, and coordinated response. This includes building wellness into curricular and co-curricular experiences, equipping faculty and staff to recognize warning signs, and aligning policies and practices with emerging standards of care.

The Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS) offers several resources to support this shift:

• Counseling Services Standards
  These standards outline key elements of high-quality counseling services, including ethical practice, staffing, assessment, and culturally responsive care. They serve as a benchmark for program design, review, and enhancement.
• Cross-Functional Framework for Identifying and Responding to Behavioral Concerns
  This framework helps institutions build coordinated systems for responding to students in distress. It emphasizes early intervention, team-based decision-making, and consistent protocols across units.
• Cross-Functional Framework for Advancing Health and Well-Being Self-Assessment Guide (SAG)
  Designed to help teams evaluate and enhance campus-wide efforts, this guide supports a comprehensive approach to student health, encompassing physical, emotional, and social dimensions.

Looking Ahead
As institutions continue navigating post-pandemic realities, equity gaps, and the evolving expectations of Gen Z, mental health must remain central to student success initiatives. CAS encourages higher education professionals to use these standards and frameworks not only as assessment tools, but as catalysts for conversation, collaboration, and change.
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This Mental Health Awareness Month, let’s commit to creating environments where every student feels seen, supported, and empowered to thrive.