FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 1, 2025
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The Steve Fund
C: 929-566-3915
THE STEVE FUND’S HARRIS POLL REVEALS THE GROWING NEED FOR CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS
According to the Study, the Majority of Students of All Backgrounds Say They Need Better Culturally Tailored Mental Health Support on Campus.
NEW YORK – The Steve Fund (TSF), a leading nonprofit organization focused on promoting the mental health and emotional well-being of young people, has released a new report uncovering a significant mental health crisis on U.S. college campuses. Supported by a grant from Lumina Foundation, the report conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of TSF provides critical insights into the mental health challenges faced by students in higher education.
In a study, titled “Student Mental Health on College Campuses,” The Harris Poll surveyed 2,050 U.S. residents ages 18-24 between Feb. 29 and April 1, 2024, who attended a four-year college or university in the U.S. This research builds on a 2017 Harris Poll conducted by TSF and the Jed Foundation, offering a critical comparative lens to understand trends, prioritize areas of importance, and direct meaningful action.
The findings reflect a growing sense of inclusivity on college campuses, even as institutions continue to be challenged by declining diversity and impacts from the 2023 Supreme Court decision on affirmative action. Students consistently report stress about maintaining their mental health and well-being at a level of approximately 30-40%, with 50% of students reporting fair, poor, or terrible mental health.
“Our findings highlight the critical need to address the mental health challenges faced by students on college campuses,” said Stephanie Bell-Rose, CEO of The Steve Fund. “It is essential that institutions provide mental health services to the specific needs of students, ensuring they have the resources necessary to thrive both academically and emotionally.”
TSF conducted the study to better understand the unique mental health challenges faced by college students, who often navigate experiences of discrimination, bias, impostor phenomenon, and cyberbullying—factors that increase strain on their emotional well-being. For decades, mental health research has grouped students of all racial and ethnic backgrounds together, perpetuating assumptions and gaps in understanding. The study aimed to fill those gaps by exploring the specific needs of students from a variety of demographic groups and guiding institutions in providing better support.
Key Findings Include:
- Stress and Mental Health Levels: Over one-third of students consistently report high stress related to maintaining mental health, signaling the need for skill-building tools and resources, especially following disruptions caused by the pandemic.
- Mental Health Ratings: In 2024, 50% of all students rated their mental health as fair, poor, or terrible, showing a continued need for enhanced mental health resources and interventions to address unmet needs on campus.
- Improved Help-Seeking Behavior: The comparison with the 2017 survey shows that students of color are more likely to seek help in 2024, thanks to increased awareness of resources, reduced stigma, and broader access to services like telehealth and text-based platforms.
- Mental Health Support Preferences: Students increasingly want more robust mental health services, such as support groups and crisis intervention, mirroring national trends and aligning with TSF’s ongoing initiatives to address campus mental health needs.
- Targeted Mental Health Approaches: Over 60% of all students agree that colleges and universities need mental health approaches tailored to their ethnicity/nationality to support their unique mental health needs.
- Campus Climate Perceptions (2017 vs. 2024): Although diversity on campuses has diminished, the perception of inclusivity among students has grown. In 2024, more than 4 in 5 students said that their school helps students from various racial and ethnic backgrounds feel welcome. Students in both years reported that their institutions fostered respectful and inclusive environments.
TSF is addressing these challenges head-on through a range of initiatives designed to transform environments, deliver impactful programs, and shape the field of mental health for young people. TSF’s Excellence in Mental Health on Campus program provides colleges and universities with research-based strategies and tools to create inclusive environments where all students feel supported. Initiatives such as the Family Corner focus on equipping families with resources to advocate for their students’ emotional well-being, recognizing that families often serve as the primary source of mental health support.
“The Steve Fund’s research offers meaningful guidance for institutions seeking to better support the mental health students, says Jasmine Haywood, strategy director at Lumina. “It highlights important challenges while suggesting thoughtful, practical steps forward. We value our partnership with TSF and our shared commitment to promoting opportunities in higher education.”
Through expert-led workshops, mental health training programs, and partnerships with institutions, TSF is working to expand access to mental health supports and normalize help-seeking among students. The organization is also collaborating with colleges to develop safe spaces, crisis intervention programs, and targeted services that meet the specific needs of these students.
Learn more about TSF and access the full report at https://stevefund.org/tsf-harris-poll-lumina-foundation-poll/
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About The Steve Fund
The Steve Fund is a leading nonprofit organization focused on transforming educational, organizational, and workplace environments to support the mental health and emotional well-being of young people. Building knowledge and capacity among organizations serving young people is critical to the Steve Fund’s Mission. The Steve Fund offers various solutions to assist colleges, universities, nonprofits, and workplaces in enhancing their capacity to promote mental health and emotional well-being among young people.