Voices and Insights: Using Student Voice to Understand and Address Mental Health Issues on Campus

Abstract

Campuses are becoming increasingly aware of the issues with mental health and well-being among its students. This paper explores the context of mental health on campuses, and examines the urgent issue of how to address this growing phenomenon. Institutions need to use a holistic perspective to view wellness, and the framework of multiple, interrelated dimensions of wellness may provide a structure to examine the strengths of services and programs provided on individual campuses, as well as help in the process of identifying gaps.  In designing a holistic strategy, though, it is imperative that student voice is a fundamentally important piece of planning for the necessary supports for student well-being, including academic and non-academic programs and initiatives.