Surveying the Mental Health of Utah's Public College and University Students. Issue Brief 2019-5

Across the country, the mental health of college students has become a prominent concern in the higher education landscape. This issue is also a significant one for Utah, as the state's suicide rate has been consistently higher than the national rate for more than a decade. In 2017, the legislature passed HCR 16, "Concurrent Resolution Declaring Mental Health Issues to be a Public Health Crisis at Utah Higher Education Institutions." To better understand the landscape of mental health issues at Utah's public colleges and universities, the Utah System of Higher Education (USHE) Board of Regents recommended that all USHE institutions administer the same mental health survey during the same year, to ensure comparable results. In spring 2019, USHE institutions administered the American College Health Association--National College Health Assessment survey (ACHA-NCHA). The system office collected and analyzed the survey results for the mental health section. The brief includes the results of the survey and the next steps the USHE plans to address the issues.