With higher education dropout rates at alarming levels, colleges and universities are pressed to improve student retention. Research suggests that students who report a higher sense of belonging at the end of the first year persist more in their second and third years and report lower levels of mental health issues. So, how do colleges and universities foster a greater sense of belonging?

What does it mean for a student to feel belonging?

For students to experience a sense of belonging, it means they feel valued, respected, and connected to the broader campus community. This feeling of connection plays a significant role in motivating students and boosting their confidence, ultimately driving them to achieve more academically and personally.

According to an article published in the College Student Affairs Journal, belonging is particularly critical for first-year college students, as it sets the foundation for their success and persistence throughout their academic journey. Establishing a sense of belonging early helps first-year students navigate the challenges associated with transitioning to college life and increases their likelihood of thriving in their new environment.

As outlined in the scholarly journal mentioned above, the concept of belonging encompasses four domains:

America is experiencing a physician shortage—and it’s expected to get worse. It not only impacts the general population, but also means many college students may not receive the care they need. According to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), the U.S. could be short anywhere from 54,100 to 139,000 physicians by 2033. Similarly, there is expected to be a shortage of between 14,280 and 31,109 psychiatrists within the next few years, which will leave psychologists, social workers, and others in the behavioral health field overextended and at risk of burnout.

As of April 17, 2023, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) reports that over 160 million people live in a designated mental health professional shortage area (HPSA). To remove the HPSA designation, more than 8,000 practitioners and healthcare workers are needed across the United States and its territories. Similarly, the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) found that almost 157 million people reside in a HPSA. The severity of this community health problem varies from specialty to specialty (e.g., Primary Care Physicians, Dental Health), but these stats highlight the significant shortage of mental health professionals in the healthcare workforce, impacting the general population along with college campuses.

Why are there challenges providing adequate mental health resources to students?

The American Psychological Association (APA) suggests the following reasons why higher education is struggling to keep up with the mental health needs of students.

• Student mental health is worsening – During the 2020-21 school year, more than 60% of college students met the criteria for at least one mental health problem, according to a Healthy Minds Study. The pandemic and its long-lasting impact cannot be underestimated, with the CDC reporting in August 2020 that 25.5% of college-aged individuals (18 to 24) had experienced suicide ideation over the past 30 days. More recent findings from the KFF found that half (50%) of adults aged 18-24 reported anxiety and depression symptoms in 2023, in comparison to about a third of adults overall.
• Traditional counseling center model is often not sufficient – Even before provider burnout from the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of students seeking mental health treatment was growing. The campus counseling center model alone may not be able to solve the clinician and behavioral health provider shortage and service disparities.
• More students are seeking help – Progress has been made to de-stigmatize mental health issues and help-seeking behavior. This empowers those who were formerly silent sufferers, those who otherwise might not step forward and proactively seek support for mental health concerns. This signals progress, but it also means that colleges and universities need to be ready for additional students to seek help, with scale and bandwidth to meet more students’ needs.
• College students face a variety of challenges – College students today balance an array of challenges and stressors, from coursework, relationships, and adjustment to campus life to economic strain, social injustice, mass violence, and various forms of loss in the wake of COVID-19.
• Lack of funding – According to the APA, the rising demand for mental health services hasn’t been matched by a corresponding rise in public health funding for personnel, which has led to higher caseloads. The nationwide average annual caseload for a full-time college counselor is 120 students, with some centers averaging more than 300 students per counselor.

College students are often overwhelmed with a variety of stressors at the end of a semester. Eight in 10 college students experience frequent stress which can negatively impact their mental health, according to the American Institute for Stress (AIS). And TimelyCare’s research suggests that rates of seeking care for stress, anxiety, and depression increase as the semester winds down. So, how does end-of-semester stress impact student health, and what can higher education leaders do to help students destress?

College life is uniquely stressful. Students not only have to deal with a bigger academic workload than they did in high school, but they’re expected to function socially, plan financially, and deal with living away from home for the first time. Despite the various sources of stress, data reveals that “finals and midterms accounted for the top source of stress for 31% of U.S. students.” Similarly, internal data from the TimelyCare platform found increases at the end of the semester in rates of students seeking care for stress, anxiety, and depression – especially outside campus support service business hours.

Causes of stress in college students at the end of a semester

A study by the Healthy Minds Network and the American College Health Association (ACHA) shows student anxiety rose from 17-31% over a six-year period. The COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on higher education didn’t help. In fact, students reported spikes in anxiety and depression during 2020, with 60% saying the ongoing pandemic made it harder to access mental health care. Given that students struggling with mental health issues are twice as likely to drop out, higher education leaders need to be familiar with the primary stressors for college students.

Here are some of the most common stress triggers surrounding the end of the semester and finals week, including statistics:

What does self-care for students mean? Is it a bubble bath and a face mask after a long day? Or is it a yoga class, listening to a virtual meditation, or just getting carry-out from a favorite local restaurant? Self-care looks different for everyone, and it’s no different for students. Whatever it means to you, self-care is here to stay. In fact, according to a recent survey, 7 in 10 Americans (73%) were more conscious of needing self-care, and nearly the same amount (69%) plan to do more self-care.

With this increase in prominence also comes an increase in content that, unfortunately, might not be as helpful as intended. Social media has a large presence and impact on today’s college students’ lives and understanding of the world. For better or worse, self-care content has also started filtering into the social feeds of college students. While social media may be a college student’s first interaction with self-care content, we want to make sure it isn’t the last.

That’s why at TimelyCare, we’ve created a full suite of self-care tools and resources that are organized into Self-Care Journeys. By addressing some of the top issues that impact academic performance, including stress, healthy eating, healthy relationships, anxiety, depression, and sleep, we’re providing students with self-care resources they can trust, in ways that are structured to help them set and achieve their wellness goals. Integrated into TimelyCare, our all-in-one virtual health and well-being solution, Self-Care Journeys supply students with the tools they need, anytime, anywhere. With it being integrated into TimelyCare, students can take the first step in their wellness journey and reach out to a mental health provider when they’re ready. We’re not replacing other self-care options like a bubble bath or working out, but we are making sure students have the tools, resources, and information they need so they can thrive in all aspects of their lives.

These journeys are mapped out within the TimelyCare app to help students better understand important topics that are affecting their lives while equipping them with tools on how to navigate college life. Each journey consists of a combination of short videos, engaging slides, and quick articles to help students engage with content in the way that they prefer.

What are Self-Care Journeys?

Rooted in therapeutic practices and delivered in ways Gen Z prefers to consume content, Self-Care Journeys are evidence-based tools we’ve designed for and road-tested with students to guide them on their journey to wellness. Whether students need to navigate stress, maintain healthy relationships, or learn healthy eating habits, our Self-Care Journeys have students covered.

These journeys are mapped out within the TimelyCare app to help students better understand important topics that are affecting their lives while equipping them with tools on how to navigate college life. Each journey consists of a combination of short videos, engaging slides, and quick articles to help students engage with content in the way that they prefer.

To learn more about Self-Care Journeys, here are some frequently asked questions that provide insight into what these journeys are, how the tools benefit college students, and how they can help your campus community thrive.

The prevalence of eating disorders is an increasing concern for college students. Research shows that up to 17% of female college students and 4% of male students exhibit signs of an eating disorder. The impact of an eating disorder can be felt in all aspects of a college student’s life. For example, the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) found that 25% of college-aged women engage in binge eating and purging as a weight-management technique, and that “eating disorders have the second-highest mortality rate of all mental health disorders, surpassed only by opioid addiction.”

Additionally, there is an increased risk for nonbinary and transgender college students to develop disordered eating. Relative to cisgender women, genderqueer and nonbinary college students have the highest risk of developing an eating disorder, according to research published by the Annals of Epidemiology. According to The Trevor Project, 9% of LGBTQ+ youths ages 13–24 reported having been diagnosed with an eating disorder. In comparison to those who have never suspected nor had an eating disorder diagnosis, the same research found that LGBTQ+ youth who have ever been diagnosed with an eating disorder had nearly 4x greater odds of attempting suicide in the past year.

All of these statistics highlight the devastating and far-reaching impact that eating disorders can have on college students. It also demonstrates the importance of colleges and universities providing support and resources for students who are struggling with these conditions. By seeking treatment and support, students can work toward a healthier relationship with food and their bodies, reducing the negative impact of eating disorders.

Causes and symptoms of eating disorders

How is an eating disorder defined? It is a “behavioral condition characterized by severe and persistent disturbance in eating behaviors and associated distressing thoughts and emotions.” And the most common eating disorders include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and other specified feeding and eating disorders (OSFED), according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).

Causes for eating disorders are complex and can vary from person to person, but some common contributing factors include genetics, environmental factors, psychological factors, trauma, and biology.

Most eating disorders involve a significant focus on weight, body shape, physical appearance, and food, leading to a negative body image and dangerous eating behaviors. Eating disorders are also serious mental health conditions that can have a significant impact on a person’s emotional and social well-being. According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, symptoms of disordered eating may include chronic weight fluctuations; preoccupation with food, weight, and body image negatively impacting quality of life; excessive exercise; and food restriction, fasting, or purging to “make up for bad foods” consumed. Symptoms and risk factors vary depending on the type of eating disorder.

How diet culture influences eating disorders

Diet culture refers to a societal belief system that values thinness and equates it with health, moral worth, and success. According to the National Alliance for Eating Disorders (NAED), it’s a pervasive cultural norm that glorifies weight loss, restricts food intake, and reinforces harmful beauty standards.

Diet culture has a significant impact on eating disorders because it promotes the idea that the path to happiness and success is through weight loss and food restriction. This mindset can lead to disordered eating patterns and an obsession with food and body image, which can contribute to the development of an eating disorder. Diet culture also promotes the belief that certain foods are “good” or “bad,” leading to feelings of guilt and shame when one consumes “bad” foods.

Whether students realize it or not, diet culture has a stronghold in the media and daily life. From juice cleanses to Keto and Paleo, the world of diet culture has wreaked havoc on the self-esteem and mental health of millions of college students.

Rather than trying to fit in a one-size-fits-all approach to health and wellness, students should focus on intuitive eating and self-care practices that prioritize mental and physical health, rather than weight loss or restriction. The result is that individuals can work toward a healthier relationship with food and their bodies, reducing the risk of developing an eating disorder.