By Brandon Henry
AFRO Intern
A new study shows that mental health is improving for college students across the nation.
According to the 2024-2025 Healthy Minds Study, which received responses from over 84,000 students from over 100 universities, the following changes have been noted since 2022:
- Severe depression: 18 percent now, compared to 23 percent in 2022
- Suicidal ideation: 11 percent now, compared to 15 percent in 2022
- Severe loneliness: 52 percent now, compared to 58 percent in 2022
Dr. Sonya Clyburn, licensed clinical psychologist and director of the university counseling center at Morgan State University, has over 25 years of experience within mental health services. Dr. Clyburn told the AFRO that therapy has become more popular since the past five years.
“Since COVID, a lot of students are actually more inclined to seek therapy,” said Dr. Clyburn. “Their peers are speaking about it. They’re posting about it…so I think it’s a good thing.”
Still, Dr. Clyburn admits there are still some things preventing college students from seeking the help they need.
“Students across the board are doing a lot of self medication for coping,” said Dr. Clyburn. “It is critical that students know that by doing that they can actually harm themselves.”
Dr. Clyburn wants students to know that it is fine to admit when they need help, and taking things upon themselves to cope isn’t always the best solution.
“We’ve been conditioned not to share our issues, we’ve been conditioned not to seek help or even seek help and have trauma as a result of seeking that help,” said Dr. Clyburn. “At the university counseling center, we are a holistic trauma informed short term model therapy so even if you feel comfortable coming, and if you still need support, we can refer you to culturally sensitive places where you can gain support. You’re not alone, and just be mindful that some of these substances and things that you’re doing to kind of cope can actually impact you.”
Devin Gilliam, a senior at Morgan State University, said going to the university counseling center helped him improve his mental health.
“Sometimes you just need to talk to someone,” said Gilliam. “In college, you deal with a lot of problems, and sometimes I may just need someone that can listen to me while I rant about what may be going on in my life.”
The Morgan State University counseling center, located in the 600 suite on the 6th floor of the Health and Human Services Building, has been a spot where students can come and speak to certified therapists. They accept walk-ins, as well as appointments for solo or group therapy sessions.
The counseling center’s mission statement is “to provide a mental health resource for students of Morgan State University (MSU), who are in need of information, support, consultation, and/or clinical intervention.” But they are not alone.
According to a report from the American Psychiatric Association, of 200 postsecondary institutions surveyed, 191 offered health mental health services. Of 50 community colleges, 40 supported their students with some kind of “counseling” service.
A 2024 Journal of American College Health study led by Duke University also found that peer support on college campuses has increased. Specifically, college students responded well to text-based supports that allowed them to communicate via their personal devices.
For more information on mental health resources available to college students, please visit the American College Health Association or dial #988 on any mobile or home phone.