Aspiring Educators are Tackling Mental Health Issues on Campus

Every Thursday for the last two years, Anna Buckley has led campus walks and facilitated student support groups where they talk, connect, and share their struggles. At first, she saw this volunteer work with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) as a way to help others. What she didn’t anticipate was how much she would need that space for herself.

“I really sat down and [thought], I need help too,” Buckley says. “I was crying. Everybody was crying, and it was just like—OK, this is serious.”

Now a third-year student at Fayetteville State University, Buckley experiences anxiety and depression. She tried therapy in high school and didn’t like it. It wasn’t until she immersed herself in mental health advocacy that she decided to give it another try. 

Balancing her commitments to the NEA Aspiring Educators program, NAMI, academics, and her personal life can be overwhelming, Buckley shares.

“I also have to take care of myself and do things that I like to do,” she adds. “For me, it's the balance between what to prioritize in those different circles.”

The 2023 – 2024 Healthy Minds study, published by The Healthy Minds Network, found that 50 percent of students have a diagnosed mental health condition. Among those registered with university disability offices, 32 percent sought accommodations for psychological or psychiatric conditions, according to the Center for Collegiate Mental Health (CCMH) at Penn State.

Even more alarming, the study found that 30 percent of students receiving counseling services reported a history of suicidal behavior in the 2023 – 2024 academic year.

Diana Cusumano, the senior director of Higher Education Programs at The Jed Foundation, says college is a major transitional period in a person’s life, which inherently comes with new anxieties and struggles.

“Loneliness is still a factor,” she says. “[We’re also seeing] more financial insecurities, … economic anxieties, … climate change, you name it. There’s a lot going on in the world right now that are current stressors for our students.”

Despite these challenges, there is hope. CCMH research found that students engaged in counseling and extracurricular activities were 50 percent less likely to drop out of school.  

For many students, the pressures of balancing school, extracurriculars, and social life is intense. 

“I know there are some students who are worried about their major, ... [fearing] they might not have a career in the next couple years,” Buckley says.

Community engagement helps. Her NAMI chapter, for example, hosts an annual basketball tournament, fostering student connections. A popular campus wellness center offers a quiet room with aromatherapy and a cozy space where students relax alone.

“Being able to relax … allows people to just breathe after [a] rough day,” Buckley says. 

Alec Thomson, president of the National Council for Higher Education, stresses that mental health issues, such as anxiety or social isolation, can make college more challenging.

“These are barriers that are going to make learning and being part of that community much more difficult, not insurmountable, but they're going to require additional efforts,” he says.

Thomson believes the best resource for students is in-person, on-campus counseling. 

“The idea of simply handing them an online link or resource is not nearly as effective or welcoming as having them be able to go directly to a person on campus,” he says.

Kathryn Koehler, a third-year psychology major at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, emphasizes the power of structure and friendship in managing stress.

“You can get bogged down on a lot of stressors, and that can impact your mental health, but then recognizing that a lot of people are going through the same thing as you and can relate to your personal experiences … is a helpful tool,” Koehler says.

Diagnosed with ADHD after her first year on campus, she now has accommodations, including an emotional support animal—a hamster named Kangaroo, or “Roo” for short.

Initially skeptical about getting evaluated, she recognized something was off when her mom pointed out she was doing laundry at 2 a.m.

“That's just not a normal behavior,” Koehler’s mom told her.

“You can get bogged down on a lot of stressors, and that can impact your mental health, but then recognizing that a lot of people are going through the same thing as you and can relate to your personal experiences is a helpful tool.”

Kathryn Koehler, student, University of Nebraska

Koehler also highlights other student services—such as student disability services, gym memberships, and club involvement—which aren’t always marketed as helpful for mental health. 

“I think even seeking out non-traditional resources that people don't always think would apply to them is helpful, because that can be another tool in the toolbox,” she says.

Second-year student Gigi Whisler, who attends Pacific University Oregon, agrees.

“Make sure you build that circle around you and keep in touch with your community—your friends, other people in your major,” Whisler says. Don’t just lock yourself in your dorm when you’re feeling bad, she adds.

CCMH reports that while academic stress has slightly declined since 2010, social and familial stress have increased recently. 

For Koehler, a combination of therapy and involvement in her Aspiring Educators campus chapter provides stability. And she believes that the growing conversation around mental health is a positive shift.

“More people are recognizing that mental health is health,” she says. “A lot of people are recognizing different coping strategies and different ways that they can support their mental health.”

It’s important to have someone in the campus community to listen to—a counselor, friend, or organization, Thomson advises. 

“That really can provide [students] a connection to the institution,” Thomson says. “It gives them an opportunity to talk someone to … handle or manage the things that might be most challenging to their lives.”

Discrimination further complicates the issue, with racial discrimination compounding on mental health issues. A 2023 report from CCMH shows that nearly 20 percent of students who received counseling reported experiencing discrimination, leading to significantly higher distress levels. 

Cusumano stresses that colleges must listen to students and address disparities. 

“It could be making sure that students know where they can go if they need to talk about … how they've been feeling on campus regarding their identities, making sure that there's different spaces for these students to gather and be with each other,” she says.

Despite available resources, many students avoid seeking help.

Stigma is a significant factor, especially among students of color, according to the Journal of Adolescent Health.

"In our Black and brown communities, it's not always stated that …  getting help with your mental health is important,” Buckley says. “I grew up with an immigrant family, and a lot of times it was just, ‘Suck it up, you're fine.’"

Cusumano says the pandemic helped open the conversation on mental health. Recently, mental health issues have become more normalized, she explains, with students more willing to talk with each other or with a therapist, and doctors now including questions about mental health at checkups. 

"[The pandemic] really highlighted the importance of social connection and belonging and highlighted the effects of isolation and loneliness," she says.

Making resources accessible is key. Many students keep late hours, and Whisler believes nighttime mental health support, such as virtual counseling, could make a difference. 

Students on campuses across the country are turning to advocacy, using collective action to push for better mental health resources. 

“Having a strong faculty union or a strong faculty group or strong faculty leaders who want to advocate on behalf of their students is a great way to go,” Thomson says.

However, he says not all institutions may have that resource. So, student action can help draw attention to the issue and create change.

For Koehler, being part of a union gives her a support system outside of campus resources, with people who are willing to help.

“I think being a big part of the union is knowing that there are other people looking out for you too,” she says. “I’ve been a mentor for some first-year students, and so, just reminding them … there are older students here to … call if you really do need help.”

Cusumano underscores that student voices are the most powerful on campus, particularly when pushing for increased resources. They can drive change with peers who share their passion for mental health, organizing collectively, and reaching out to administrators, faculty allies, and decision-makers through letters and advocacy efforts, she says.

“It is super stressful to know that you're going into a job where you're going to have to consistently be fighting every step of the way for your rights and your students' rights. Instead of just floundering around in my stress and fear, I have something tangible that I can do with it—instead of just waiting for someone else to do it for me.”

Gigi Whisler, student, Pacific University Oregon

With public education under political attack, Whisler channels stress into action through community organizing, where she brings people together to advocate for shared interests.

“It is super stressful to know that you're going into a job where you're going to have to consistently be fighting every step of the way for your rights and your students' rights,” Whisler says. “Instead of just ... floundering around in my stress and fear, I have something tangible that I can do with it—instead of just waiting for someone else to do it for me.”

From protests to community dinners, organizing builds solidarity.

“[Organizing] can be protesting at the [state] capital," Whisler says. Or it can be taking turns  making soup once a week while we talk about the state of things and how we are going to get through this together, she adds. 

For those looking to make a difference, joining an Aspiring Educators campus chapter or getting involved with an NEA state affiliate can help bolster the effort, Whisler says. 

“Especially over the next four years, with attacks on education, we need to, … as unions, come together, to organize for the sake of our profession and our future students.”