Survey: Half of Community College Students Report Mental Health Problems

Newly released results of a survey of community college students found that almost 50 percent of those surveyed had a current or recent mental health problem. The Wisconsin HOPE Lab, a research organization, surveyed 4,000 students at 10 community colleges across seven states. The resulting report found that 36 percent of respondents suffered from depression, and 29 percent had struggled with anxiety. Those rates are higher than those among students at four-year institutions, the lab reported. And mental health conditions also were more common among younger students at community colleges.

Fewer than half of the community college students with a mental health condition were receiving treatment, the report found. Roughly 88 percent of community colleges do not have a psychiatrist or other licensed prescriber on staff or contracted to provide services, according to the lab. And 57 percent do not provide suicide prevention resources.