Healthy Minds Study at UIC
The Healthy Minds Study (HMS) is a web-based survey that was developed by researchers at the University of Michigan. The survey has been conducted at over 500 colleges and universities across the country, providing detailed insight into student mental health, the prevalence of mental health outcomes (e.g., depression, anxiety, substance use), service utilization, help-seeking behaviors, and even the economic impact of student mental health services and programs at UIC.
Why are we conducting the Healthy Minds Study?
In January 2023, our institution committed nearly $4.5 million to enhance student mental health services and overall student well-being. As part of this commitment, we were charged by then interim chancellor, Javier Reyes, to build capacity and invest in resources to enhance student mental health care.
There is currently a large gap in data related to our diverse student body’s mental health needs, attitudes about mental health, and current service utilization. Data from the Healthy Minds Study will allow our campus leaders to:
· advocate for expanded or re-oriented services
· ensure current resources better meet the needs of its students
· work toward reducing health inequities across populations on campus
· examine the stigma of mental health disorders and services among our students to inform mental health awareness educational opportunities and communications
· inform campus policies and procedures to better support student mental health
What can you do?
We will be disseminating the HMS to a subset of our entire student population on April 1st, 2024. Students who are selected to participate will have a period of three weeks to complete the survey.
We ask that you please assist us with sharing the announcement of the upcoming survey with your colleagues in your respective college. We would greatly appreciate it if they could strongly encourage their students to take the survey and remind students of the importance of sharing their voice. This is particularly important as there are other surveys which have been recently disseminated, including the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE).
If there are faculty members who would be amenable to having one of our team members come to their classroom at the end of a lecture to speak about the Healthy Minds Study and answer questions related to the survey, please let me know. We would welcome the opportunity! Below is a small example of a Backboard communication which faculty can utilize to encourage students to take the survey. Please note, it is not permitted to use any type of credit (e.g., class credit or extra credit) for taking the survey.
Students,
On April 1st, you may be selected to participate in the Healthy Minds Study. This online survey aims to better understand mental health needs, service utilization, and related issues among UIC students.
I’d like to encourage you to take the survey, if selected, as the information collected will be vital for informing campus policies, practices, and funding for programs and services at UIC.
Invited students will receive an email from healthyminds-UIC@umich.edu.
The survey should only take about 30 minutes to complete and does not have to be completed in one sitting. All invited students who complete the survey will be eligible to receive a $10 Amazon gift card and be entered to win a number of other items.