College Student Mental Wellness Advocacy Coalition Launches Second Annual Survey to 800,000 Students; Expands Partnerships with Mental Health Nonprofits

By: American Campus Communities, Inc. via Business Wire

October 10, 2023 at 14:14 PM EDT

Largest college student questionnaire of its kind to provide benchmarking for 2024 Thriving College Students Index Report

The College Student Mental Wellness Advocacy Coalition launches its second annual Thriving College Student Mental Wellness Survey today—on World Mental Health Day—in partnership with the Hi, How Are You Project (HHAYP) and The Jed Foundation (JED).

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231010020630/en/

Hi, How Are You Project and The Jed Foundation Launch Thriving College Student Survey with Mental Wellness Advocacy Coalition to nearly 800,000 students on World Mental Health Day. (Photo: Business Wire)

The largest survey of its kind will be fielded in the U.S. and Canada by world leader in research, Ipsos, to nearly 800,000 students residing in college housing communities. The survey results will be reported in the form of an annual Index in January 2024.

“Thanks to this survey data, we will have the opportunity to continue to learn about various dimensions of student mental wellness including their levels of stress and anxiety, coping mechanisms, future outlook, feelings of connectedness, and more,” said Dr. Sonia Krishna, a board-certified physician specializing in child, adolescent, and adult psychiatry and Hi, How Are You Project board member. “We encourage all students who receive the survey to complete it as this actionable data will help us develop mental wellness resources, staff training, and community programming in the ways they are most needed.”

With a second year of data, the Coalition will provide benchmarking for the first time to keep a pulse on student wellbeing as well as measure the impact of the Coalition’s initiatives.

“JED is proud to work alongside fellow Coalition members to continue protecting emotional health and preventing suicide among our nations’ teens and young adults. College students and members of the campus community play critical roles in the collaboration, cultivation, and creation of life-saving cultures of care,” said John MacPhee, CEO, The Jed Foundation. “The Index will assist us in better understanding the unique challenges and conditions that students are now facing, allowing us to develop programs that affect positive change on both an individual and systemic level."

The Coalition envisions a world where all young adults thrive thanks to the support of their residential communities that are dedicated to promoting and advocating for mental wellness to facilitate personal fulfillment and academic success. In addition to HHAYP and JED, it is made up of 24 member companies in the student housing industry including:

American Campus Communities

CA Student Living

Campus Advantage

Campus Apartments

Cardinal Group Management

Core Spaces

Landmark

Peak Campus

Pierce Education Properties

Preiss

RPM

Student Quarters

The Scion Group

Greystar

Michaels Student Living

Campus Life & Style

Asset Living

Caliber Living

Yugo

Balfour Beatty

Dinerstein

University Partners

Gilbane Development Company

GMH Communities

“By uniting as an industry, we know our impact can be so much greater and longer lasting,” said Jonathan Bove, Coalition chair. “We aim to leverage the diverse skill sets and capacities of our member organizations so that students get the resources and programming they need to thrive personally and academically in their residential communities.”

To learn more about the new College Student Mental Wellness Advocacy Coalition, please visit www.thrivingcollegestudents.org.

About the College Student Mental Wellness Advocacy Coalition

The College Student Mental Wellness Advocacy Coalition is an alliance of the nation’s top student housing providers who advocate for student mental wellness through encouraging open conversations, providing resources, and developing industry-wide peer-to-peer staff training programs, in partnership with mental health non-profits, The Jed Foundation (JED) and Hi, How Are You Project (HHAYP). Since its founding in 2022, the Coalition continues to expand its reach and impact as it envisions a world where all young adults thrive thanks to the support of their residential communities that are dedicated to promoting and advocating for mental wellness to facilitate personal fulfillment and academic success. www.thrivingcollegestudents.org

About the Hi, How Are You Project

The Hi, How Are You Project (HHAYP) is an Austin, TX-based 501c3 nonprofit organization with the mission to remove the stigma around mental health, one conversation at a time. The organization aims to educate people worldwide about the importance of mental health and wellbeing while promoting a culture of inclusion. www.hihowareyou.org

About The Jed Foundation (JED)

JED is a leading nonprofit that protects emotional health and prevents suicide for our nation’s teens and young adults. We’re partnering with high schools and colleges to strengthen their mental health, substance misuse, and suicide prevention programs and systems. We’re equipping teens and young adults with the skills and knowledge to help themselves and each other. We’re encouraging community awareness, understanding, and action for young adult mental health.