New Report: Mental Health Challenges of Student Parents

Posted by JED Foundation on June 22, 2021

New Study: Student Parents in College Experience Unique Mental Health Challenges but Lack Access to Support on Campus

Ascend at the Aspen Institute and The Jed Foundation Release a New Mental Health Framework with Recommendations for Supporting the Mental Health of Students Who Are Parents

A new study released today by Ascend at the Aspen Institute (Ascend) and The Jed Foundation (JED) finds that more than two in five (43 percent) of the nearly four million student parents attending college in the United States experience extreme stress that affects their mental health and educational success. Financial stress and feelings of isolation on campus are major stressors for student parents, with 38% saying they considered dropping out in the last 30 days.

More than one in five college students in the U.S. is a parent. The report, Improving Mental Health of Student Parents: A Framework for Higher Education, is the first study to specifically focus on the mental health needs of parenting students, who are most likely to be women and students of color. With original survey research, a review of the literature, and recommendations, the report offers a framework for higher education leaders and policymakers to support the mental health of parenting students so that they and their children can thrive.

Key findings from the new study include:

• More than half of student parents say they were made to feel less welcome on campus. The figure was even higher (67 percent) among younger student parents ages 18-29. Only 37 percent of student parents said that they felt their college or university was supportive of student parents.
• Student parents, especially those over age 25, show remarkable resilience. Student parents often report a greater sense of purpose and meaning in their lives and have significantly lower rates of substance use behaviors than non-parents. They are also incredibly committed to their academic studies, engaging with their professors during office hours at much higher rates than their non-parenting peers.
• In addition to greater financial stress, student parents are less likely than non-parents to be able to afford mental health care. 15.5 percent of parenting students find it at least somewhat difficult to pay for mental health care, compared with 10.3 percent of non-parents. And most are unaware of the services available on campus: less than half (47 percent) of student parents know about mental health outreach efforts on campus, compared with nearly 60 percent of non-parents.

Read more here

Download the report here