The report reveals complex photographs of student happiness at historically black universities and universities

Historically, Black students at Black Universities (HBCU) and primarily Black Institutions (PBI) have also faced a university of public health researchers who have experienced better mental health outcomes in several key areas compared to their peers at other institutions, as well as those of public health researchers who have been involved in the new report.

Titled “Community, Culture, and Care: A Cross-Institutional Analysis of Mental Health among Students at HBCU and PBI”, the report was developed in collaboration with United Negro College Fund Institute Forecapacity Building, Steve Fund, and the Healthy Mind Network.

Since 2007, University of Michigan-based The Healthy Minds Network has managed the Healthy Minds Study, an annual survey of mental health among university students. Over 850,000 university students from over 600 universities and universities participate. Researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles, Wayne State and Boston University are partners with the University of Michigan in their annual survey.

To provide additional insight into the Black College student experience, the team worked together to develop and manage supplement versions of the Healthy Minds Study using a new module that specifically assesses themes, components, risk factors and protective factors.

“It is essential to enhance the unique experiences, strengths and challenges of HBCU students in conversations about mental health and happiness,” says PhD Akilah Patterson. Chief researcher of the Department of Health Behavior and Health, University of Michigan School of Public Health, and Reports. “In this pivotal moment in the happiness of college students, Black students should not only be heard, but also supported and acted. This research paves the way for more action.”

A look at responses from 2,504 students from 16 HBCUs and two PBIs revealed significant differences in mental health metrics compared to the national average.

While 45% of HBCU/PBI students reported mentally thriving, 83% reported a sense of belonging to the campus community, compared to 36% of university students across the country, HBCU/PBI students nationwide showed significantly lower anxiety, eating disorders, and substance use compared to the national average.

In addition to the national average, the report details comparative data on black students, primarily from white institutions. The HBCU/PBI sample of students generally reported a higher percentage of mental health and well-being when compared to this group.

Despite these prominent positive outcomes in several areas, the data reveals important gaps and pressing challenges.

Financial concerns top the stressors list, with over half of students reporting their financial situation as “always” or “often” stressful. The impact proved important. 78% of financially stressed students experienced mental health issues, compared to only 26% of financially safe students. More than a quarter of students reporting high levels of financial stress reported suicidal thoughts in the past year.

Important gaps in mental health support have also been identified, with 54% of HBCU students reporting unmet mental health needs, more important than the national average of 41%.

Based on these findings, some opportunities for universities and universities to enhance student support include:

Development of strategies to address high percentages of unmet mental health needs Strategies to mitigate the expansion of mental health resources within campus

The voices of HBCUS and other PBI students have historically been underrepresented in mental health research, according to Justin Heinze, a co-investigator at the Healthy Minds Network and an associate professor of health behavior and health equity at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. “The findings from this study show an important difference from our national sample, indicating that we cannot implement a ‘fitting all sizes’ approach to cope with mental health in college students,” he said.

In addition to Patterson, the new report is authored by Erin Voiczhoski and Juliana Fuchinali, members of the University of Michigan Healthy Mind Research Team. Victoria Smith Capacity Building at United Negro College Fund Research Institute. Voichoski, Fucinari, and Smith were essential for the data analysis process, report writing, and qualitative data collection.