A new report showed a significant decrease in suicidal ideation, planning and attempts on college campuses around the nation, as well as improved levels of those suffering from anxiety and depression.

The nonprofit Jed Foundation analyzed a decade's worth of data from higher ed institutions participating in their JED Campus program. It provides colleges and universities with resources and guidance to protecting and improving student mental health.

Michelle Mullen, senior vice president and chief design and impact officer for the foundation, said in Utah, 16 institutions took part in the program.

"We work them collaboratively to be able to identify what is already strong and the ways in which we can strengthen it," Mullen explained. "Are there critical pieces that may be missing to be able to enhance mental-health and suicide prevention on campus?"

With more than 18 million students attending colleges and universities every year, Mullen pointed out academic institutions are at the forefront of bringing mental health services to young adults. Her message to academic institutions is to not wait to implement what she calls a "comprehensive approach to mental health."

The group has a list of recommendations, including preventive practices, guidelines for treatment of people at risk of suicide as well as effective postvention efforts.

Mullen noted mental health challenges have risen significantly among young people and contended it is not a surprise when you take into account the multiple stresses and challenges younger adults face, such as what she calls "today's comparison culture," brought on by social media, mass shootings, race and faith-based harassment and threats as well as decreasing protections for LGBTQ+ youths.

"The amazing thing is that we are now seeing results that are coming out of our reports, is that this group is incredibly resilient," Mullen observed. "With the right support and structure, then they do better on campus. So there is hope and there is something we can do."

Mullen added if you or someone you know is struggling, the first step is to reach out to a friend, a family member or a professional for help. She said one can also call 988 to receive free and confidential support for those in distress.


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As Mississippi grapples with a growing mental health crisis, state and local leaders are being urged to prioritize diversion programs and crisis care systems to prevent the unnecessary incarceration of people with mental illness.

It is estimated 2 million people with serious mental illness are booked into jails across the U.S. each year.

Shannon Scully, director of justice policy and initiatives for the National Alliance on Mental Illness, said in Mississippi, where mental health resources are often scarce and the incarceration rate is among the highest in the nation, it means more than 19,000 people in state custody.

"The criminal justice system disproportionately impacts people with mental illness," Scully explained. "They are overrepresented in those spaces, and that's mostly because historically, our communities have underfunded and under-resourced behavioral health."

The Bureau of Justice Statistics reports 44% of people in jails and 43% in state and federal prisons have a mental illness. The Magnolia State has made some progress in recent years, leveraging federal funding to expand mental health services. However, advocates warned proposed budget cuts could jeopardize the gains.

Mississippi's prison system has long been under scrutiny for overcrowding and poor conditions, and a lack of mental health services exacerbates the problem. Scully pointed to "nuisance laws" criminalizing behaviors associated with untreated mental illness, such as public disturbances or sleeping in public, as key drivers of incarceration.

"Instead of implementing policies that may connect these folks to crisis services or to supportive housing, they are charged with a crime or they are ticketed," Scully emphasized. "They become involved with the criminal justice system."

As March marks Criminal Justice Awareness Month, she urged Mississippians to learn more about how mental health intersects with the justice system and to push for reforms. Scully promotes the importance of community engagement, pointing to resources like reimaginecrisis.org, where people can track legislation and advocacy efforts for mental health diversion and crisis care in their state.

Researchers at the University of Michigan have found that Black students attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Predominantly Black Institutions experience better mental-health outcomes compared with their peers at other institutions, but challenges remain.

The Healthy Minds Network, based at U of M, partnered with UCLA, Wayne State, and Boston University, to conduct the study in collaboration with the UNCF Institute for Capacity Building and the Steve Fund. Akilah Patterson, a doctoral candidate at the University of Michigan's School of Public Health, led the research and said the study involved 16 HBCUs and two PBIs, with more than 2,500 students participating.

"About 45% of them are flourishing mentally," she said. "Most notably, we saw that 83% of HBCU and PBI students reported having a sense of belonging in their campus community, compared to about 73% nationally."

However, the data also reveals significant challenges. More than half of the students report that their financial situation is "always" or "often" stressful, and 78% of those facing financial hardships are also dealing with mental-health issues.

In light of these challenges, the study recommends that colleges and universities address unmet mental-health needs, alleviate financial stress, expand on-campus mental-health resources and strengthen student-faculty connections.

Patterson said she hopes the report also underscores the importance of fostering a strong sense of belonging on campus and the crucial role HBCUs play in students' lives.

"HBCUs have a very long tradition of being centers of excellence and academic achievement," she said, "but this work also highlights that there are some mental-health challenges that do need to be addressed on those campuses so students can very much thrive academically."

As of 2023, HBCUs enrolled approximately 293,000 students. While originally established to serve Black students, as of 2015, non-Black students constitute about 22% of enrollment, up from 15% in 1976.


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Nebraska mental health professionals worry the Trump administration's proposed $880 billion in Medicaid funding cuts would threaten progress the state has made in providing help to those who need it.

The reductions could have a dramatic impact on the 345,000 Nebraskans who rely on Medicaid as their only source of health insurance.

Aileen Brady, president and CEO of Omaha-based Community Alliance, said Nebraska has had recent success in getting higher Medicaid reimbursement rates for providers, and has expanded services.

She added that cuts would hurt people who need help the most - those struggling with mental health problems, people with disabilities, and kids.

"Nearly half of Medicaid enrollees in Nebraska are under the age of 20," said Brady, "and I think people need to understand that impact it'll have on our children in Nebraska - and that means our future in Nebraska."

A recent survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says at least 50% of American adults will need treatment for a mental health issue during their lifetime.

Brady said such steep cuts at the federal level would require dramatic cuts in services to Nebraskans, especially when considering the degree to which the state relies on the federal money.

"Fifty-eight percent of every dollar is a federal dollar, 42% of those dollars are state dollars," said Brady. "If those cuts would come into play, that $880 billion over a period of time, that's going to create a fundamental shift in how services are delivered - the shift of cost to the states - or it's going to result in a significant cut."

The Trump administration is following through on a campaign promise to cut federal spending across the board.