Sarah Ketchen Lipson is an assistant professor at the Boston University School of Public Health. Her research focuses on understanding and addressing mental health and disparities therein within higher education. She is the Principal Investigator of the Healthy Minds Network. This includes the Network’s national Healthy Minds Study, an annual student mental health survey conducted at hundreds of colleges and universities. Sarah’s research has been funded by the National Institute of Mental Health and the William T. Grant Foundation, among others.
Student mental health remains a top priority for college and university administrators, faculty, and staff. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, many administrators, faculty, and staff members sought to identify ways to better support students at their institutions. A May 2022 survey by Gallup and Lumina Foundation found that nearly three-fourths of students in a bachelor’s degree program considered taking a break from their academic studies due to emotional distress. Oftentimes, access to health services, including mental health, is better at colleges and universities for students compared to available options outside of higher education institutions. During the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health services have been expanded to include telehealth options for those who need these services. Multiple resources are available to learn more about student mental health, including CITI Program’s Understanding and Addressing Mental Health on Campus: Opportunities and Challenges in Higher Education webinar.
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