Study Shows Parents’ Concern for Mental Health

A new study shows that parents are increasingly concerned over their students’ mental health.

The survey, conducted by the Mary Christie Foundation, showed that 76 percent of parents polled believed mental health on college campuses was a very or somewhat serious issue.

Parents of students with mental health conditions emphasized access to resources as a priority. Of the parents who responded, 36 percent thought that mental health issues were a major threat to student safety while on campus.

“Parents play an important role in a large portion of today’s college students, yet there has been little examination of their views or understanding of college student mental health,” said John Howe, chairman and president of the Mary Christie Foundation, in a press release. “We hope this new information is helpful for the practitioners and policy makers who are addressing these issues on their campuses.”

Survey results indicate that parents are concerned about the issue of mental health to the point where available resources play a component in college selection, but they have misconceptions around “disclosure, accountability and campus resources.”

While 68 percent of parents said that they felt responsible for monitoring and reporting their student’s mental health conditions, about 33 percent expected the university staff and faculty to also be responsible. Forty-two percent of respondents said routine mental health screenings for all students should be a major priority for universities.

Additionally, the majority of parent respondents said they felt that universities should be allowed to communicate with parents about their students’ mental health concerns, as an exception to existing privacy laws.

Parents said they thought academic performance was one of the highest student stressors out of a provided list of issues.

Over all, parents felt they were well informed about their students’ mental health status. Over 1,000 parents of students at residential colleges across the nation were polled.

The Mary Christie Foundation is a research organization that focuses on the health and wellness of young adults, particularly college students. The study was sponsored in part by Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield.