Mental health awareness is gaining steam across campuses nationwide, through related courses, faculty recognition and support, and cultural shifts

In classrooms across the country, mental health is no longer just a student services concern—it’s showing up in syllabi, becoming a credit-bearing topic, and reshaping how faculty talk about success.

As student demand for mental health support surges, colleges and universities are making a notable shift: moving away from a “resilience” framework—long criticized for implying students must simply “toughen up”—toward embedding wellness directly into institutional culture and curriculum.

According to the Healthy Minds Network, more than 60% of college students met criteria for at least one mental health problem in 2020-21, a figure that has remained high since the pandemic. At the same time, national conversations have expanded the definition of well-being to include community care, emotional literacy, and systemic supports.

Mental Health on the Syllabus

One of the most visible signs of the pivot is the rise of the “mental health syllabus statement.” While accessibility and Title IX language have been standard for years, a growing number of faculty now include proactive mental health messaging and resource guides alongside academic expectations. Here is an example: 

“I recognize that students may experience a range of challenges that can impact their well-being and academic performance. If you are struggling with your mental health, please know that you are not alone, and resources are available to support you. I encourage you to reach out to [mention relevant campus resources] or speak with me directly.” 

The University of Michigan’s Center for Research on Learning and Teaching recommends including mental health statements that normalize help-seeking and link to campus services. Their sample language also encourages students to reach out to professors if they’re struggling, acknowledging that learning is often impacted by emotional well-being.

At George Washington University, the Office of Advocacy and Support offers customizable syllabus language that identifies common stressors, such as financial insecurity and identity-based harassment, and emphasizes that well-being is integral to academic success.

Wellness Courses

Some institutions are going further by awarding credit for wellness education. Yale University made headlines when its wildly popular “Psychology and the Good Life” class—designed to teach students evidence-based strategies for increasing well-being—became the highest enrolled course in the university’s history. The course has since been adapted into a free online version on Coursera, with over 4 million participants worldwide.

At Stanford University, the “Designing Your Life” course, which is built around human-centered design thinking, helps students reflect on purpose, values, and mental health through experiential learning. The course is so popular that it has spun off into a national network of faculty using the framework at their own institutions.

Meanwhile, Florida State University launched its “Wellness and Resilience” course as part of a broader initiative to embed emotional well-being into the student experience. According to the university’s Division of Student Affairs, the course covers topics ranging from mindfulness and gratitude to sleep hygiene and self-compassion.

Wellness as Culture, Not Just Crisis Response

The shift isn’t just happening in the classroom. Some colleges are incorporating wellness into the cultural fabric of their institutions—by rethinking academic policies, retooling advising models, and creating spaces that foster a sense of community.

At the University of Texas at Austin, the BeVocal bystander intervention program equips students to look out for each other across a range of mental health and safety issues. The program is part of the broader Longhorn Wellness Center, which uses a public health framework to embed well-being into campus life.

Similarly, the University of Southern California’s Thrive initiative positions wellness as a collective responsibility. Faculty and staff receive training in “mental health first aid,” and departments are encouraged to host wellness-based professional development and peer support events.

“Students can’t get help for a problem they don’t know they have—or if they think struggling means they’ve failed,” said Kelly Greco, PsyD, associate director of outreach and prevention services at USC Student Health. “The goal is to build a culture that makes mental health as natural to talk about as physical health.”

Beyond the Counseling Center

While most campuses continue to expand clinical services, administrators say the pivot to wellness requires decentralizing support. That means training faculty to recognize signs of distress, equipping student leaders to respond to mental health concerns, and shifting the narrative around success and self-worth.

The American Council on Education recommends a whole-campus approach, emphasizing that a comprehensive mental health strategy should encompass academic affairs, housing, athletics, and other relevant areas. Their 2023 report, Mental Health in Higher Education: A Collective Responsibility, urges institutions to “move beyond a crisis-response model and cultivate campus cultures of care.”

It’s a shift that students are noticing—and often leading. At Brown University, student activists helped create “Mindfulness Month,” a campus-wide initiative that includes yoga classes, sleep education, and drop-in meditation sessions. At UC Berkeley, the student government successfully advocated for wellness days built into the academic calendar.

A New Definition of Success

As colleges reconsider what it means to educate the whole student, mental health is no longer a siloed service—it’s a lens through which teaching, learning, and leadership are being reimagined.

“This isn’t about making students feel good at the expense of academic rigor,” said Sara Abelson, senior director at the Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice. “It’s about recognizing that students are human beings. And human beings learn best when they feel safe, supported, and well.”