Primary mental health issues among U.S. college students 2023

The primary mental health concern of college students in the United States, as reported by mental health clinicians, for the academic school year 2022-2023 was anxiety. Around 24.8 percent of mental health clinicians stated anxiety was the top concern of their college student patients, followed by 14.4 percent who reported depression as the top concern. Relationship problems, stress, and family problems are also some of the leading mental health concerns among U.S. college students. At that same time, a total of 41 percent of college students reported having depression symptoms.

Anxiety & depression

Anxiety is the body’s response to stress regarding future uncertainty, and it can develop into a disorder if it starts interfering with daily activities, such as causing panic attacks or phobias. Depression is a constant feeling of sadness and a loss of interest, that may lead to extreme tiredness, loss of energy and motivation, and can cause difficulty in concentrating. As of 2021, around 31 percent of college students in the United States had been diagnosed with anxiety disorder, while around 27 percent had been diagnosed with depression or other mood disorders.

Mental health treatment

There are different treatment options for mental health issues depending on the severity of the problem, but therapy and medication remain the most common treatment options in the United States. In the academic school year 2021-2022, around 35 percent of college students in the U.S. who received mental health services took medication for their mental health concerns. Furthermore, almost nine percent of students who received mental health services had been hospitalized for their mental health concerns.