Student mental health statistics

University and college students are mostly young adults. Each figure below names the students it counts. Where a figure comes from a screening questionnaire or a diagnostic interview, the line says which.

Most student studies are online surveys that use screening questionnaires. A screening questionnaire points to a probable condition only. It is not a diagnosis. One older study below used a diagnostic interview instead and found a lower rate, but its students, years and methods also differ.

So compare figures only when the students, the measure and the period match. Each figure names its source, its period and when we last checked it. Figures for school pupils are on our youth mental health statistics page.

Worldwide

The World Mental Health International College Student initiative surveys first-year students at universities in many countries with the same screening questionnaires. Its authors note that few students replied, and that the figures may be too high. An older analysis of household surveys used a diagnostic interview.

• In online surveys in 2017-2023, 65.2% of first-year university students in 18 countries (median age 19) screened positive for a mental disorder in their lifetime. (survey, lifetime (ever), 2017-2023 data, checked 10 Oct 2026) ¹
• In online surveys in 2017-2023, 57.4% of first-year university students in 18 countries (median age 19) screened positive for a mental disorder in the past year. (survey, past 12 months, 2017-2023 data, checked 10 Oct 2026) ¹
• In online surveys in 2017-2023, 46.5% of first-year university students in 18 countries (median age 19) screened positive for post-traumatic stress disorder in their lifetime. (survey, lifetime (ever), 2017-2023 data, checked 10 Oct 2026) ¹
• In online surveys in 2017-2023, 23.3% of first-year university students in 18 countries (median age 19) screened positive for major depressive disorder in their lifetime. (survey, lifetime (ever), 2017-2023 data, checked 10 Oct 2026) ¹
• In online surveys in 2017-2023, 23.6% of first-year university students in 18 countries (median age 19) screened positive for alcohol use disorder in the past year. (survey, past 12 months, 2017-2023 data, checked 10 Oct 2026) ¹
• In online surveys in 2017-2023, 12.8% of first-year university students in 18 countries (median age 19) screened positive for generalised anxiety disorder in their lifetime. (survey, lifetime (ever), 2017-2023 data, checked 10 Oct 2026) ¹
• In 2001-2012, 20.3% of college students aged 18 to 22 in World Mental Health surveys in 21 countries met criteria for a mental disorder in the past year at a diagnostic interview. (survey, past 12 months, 2001-2012 data, checked 10 Oct 2026) ²

North America

The Healthy Minds Study is an online survey of students at colleges and universities across the United States. Students answer screening questionnaires and questions about self-injury, suicidal thoughts and care. The two survey years below fall before and during the coronavirus pandemic. If you are thinking about suicide, please reach out now. Our page of helplines and suicide hotlines worldwide lists free crisis lines by country.

• In 2020-2021, 60.2% of students at colleges and universities taking part in the Healthy Minds Study in the US screened positive for depression, anxiety or an eating disorder, or reported self-injury or suicidal thoughts. (survey, 2020-2021 data, checked 10 Oct 2026) ³
• In 2018-2019, 58.0% of students at colleges and universities taking part in the Healthy Minds Study in the US screened positive for depression, anxiety or an eating disorder, or reported self-injury or suicidal thoughts. (survey, 2018-2019 data, checked 10 Oct 2026) ³
• In an online survey run in 2020-2021, 50.2% of US students with one or more mental health problems in the Healthy Minds Study had received therapy or medication in the past year. (survey, past 12 months, 2020-2021 data, checked 10 Oct 2026) ³

South America

Brazil's figures come from a review that pooled studies of medical students. The studies used questionnaires, so the figures point to symptoms, not diagnoses. Medical students are one group of students and may differ from others.

• Pooling studies that measured depression with questionnaire scales, 30.6% of medical students in Brazil (25 studies) scored as depressed. (pooled from prevalence studies, published 2017, checked 10 Oct 2026) ⁵
• Pooling studies that used questionnaires, 31.5% of medical students in Brazil (13 studies) scored as having a common mental disorder, such as depression or anxiety. (pooled from prevalence studies, published 2017, checked 10 Oct 2026) ⁵

Europe

England's figures come from an official survey of first-year students in the autumn term, during the coronavirus pandemic. Students answered standard questionnaires about the previous two weeks. The Office for National Statistics labels these experimental statistics.

• In a survey run in 2021, 37% of first-year higher education students in England showed moderate to severe symptoms of depression over the previous two weeks. (survey, 2021 data, checked 10 Oct 2026) ⁶
• In a survey run in 2021, answers from 39% of first-year higher education students in England suggested that some form of anxiety disorder was likely over the previous two weeks. (survey, 2021 data, checked 10 Oct 2026) ⁶

Africa

South Africa's figures come from first-year students at the University of Cape Town and Stellenbosch University, as part of the international student initiative. Students answered screening questionnaires online. The same research team also asked about care.

• In online surveys in 2015-2017, 38.5% of first-year students aged 18 and older at the University of Cape Town and Stellenbosch University screened positive for a common mental disorder in their lifetime. (survey, lifetime (ever), 2015-2017 data, checked 10 Oct 2026) ⁷
• In online surveys in 2015-2017, 24.7% of first-year students aged 18 and older at the University of Cape Town and Stellenbosch University screened positive for major depressive disorder in their lifetime. (survey, lifetime (ever), 2015-2017 data, checked 10 Oct 2026) ⁷
• In online surveys in 2015-2017, 31.5% of first-year students aged 18 and older at the University of Cape Town and Stellenbosch University screened positive for a common mental disorder in the past year. (survey, past 12 months, 2015-2017 data, checked 10 Oct 2026) ⁷
• In online surveys in 2015-2017, 20.8% of first-year students aged 18 and older at the University of Cape Town and Stellenbosch University screened positive for generalised anxiety disorder in the past year. (survey, past 12 months, 2015-2017 data, checked 10 Oct 2026) ⁷
• In a web-based survey, 18.1% of first-year students at two historically White universities in South Africa had used mental health care in the previous twelve months. (survey, past 12 months, published 2020, fieldwork year not stated, checked 10 Oct 2026) ⁴
• In a web-based survey, 28.9% of first-year students with a common mental disorder at two historically White universities in South Africa had received treatment in the previous twelve months. (survey, past 12 months, published 2020, fieldwork year not stated, checked 10 Oct 2026) ⁴

Asia

China's figure comes from a review that pooled many studies of university students, each using a depression questionnaire. India's figures come from a survey of college students in nine states. Students answered questionnaires about depression and anxiety.

• Pooling studies that measured depression with questionnaire scales, 34.70% of university students in China (32 studies, 93,679 students) scored as depressed. (pooled from prevalence studies, published 2025, checked 10 Oct 2026) ⁸
• In a survey run in 2019, 33.6% of college students at 30 universities in nine Indian states (median age 19) reported moderate to severe symptoms of depression on a questionnaire. (survey, 2019 data, checked 10 Oct 2026) ⁹
• In a survey run in 2019, 23.2% of college students at 30 universities in nine Indian states (median age 19) reported moderate to severe symptoms of anxiety on a questionnaire. (survey, 2019 data, checked 10 Oct 2026) ⁹

Suicide among students

This figure comes from the Office for National Statistics, which linked death registrations to student records in England and Wales. The Office calls this release official statistics in development. Over the seven academic years it covers, students had a lower suicide rate than people of similar ages in the general population. Some deaths are registered months or years later, after an inquest, so the latest year is likely to be an undercount. The figure covers students in higher education only. Help is available. The World Health Organization reminds people with thoughts of suicide that they are not alone, and that many have found help. A university counselling service, a doctor or a therapist is a good place to start. If you are thinking about suicide, please reach out now. Our page of helplines and suicide hotlines worldwide lists free crisis lines by country.

• Over the seven academic years 2016-2023, the suicide rate among higher education students in England and Wales was 6.9 per 100,000 people enrolled as students, below the general population's rate at similar ages. (registered deaths, 2016-2023 data, checked 13 Oct 2026) ¹⁰

National figures side by side

These studies counted different students and measured different things. Read each row with its label, and do not rank the countries. If you are thinking about suicide, our page of helplines and suicide hotlines worldwide lists free crisis lines by country.

How to read these figures

Screening questionnaires count probable conditions. Only an assessment by a clinician can confirm one. The one diagnostic interview study here, from household surveys, found a lower rate than the screening surveys. Its students, years and sampling also differ, so the gap is not a measure of screening alone.

Online student surveys often have low response rates. The authors of the international student initiative caution that their figures may be too high because few students replied. The Office for National Statistics labels its England survey figures experimental statistics, and its suicide figures for England and Wales official statistics in development.

Many studies covered first-year students at a few universities. They do not describe every student in a country, and they miss young people who are not studying.

A lifetime figure is never lower than a past-year figure from the same students. Two-week, past-year and lifetime figures answer different questions.

The surveys ran in different years: some before the coronavirus pandemic, some during it.

If you are a student, your campus counselling or student health service is often a good place to start. A therapist can also help you work out what is happening and what might help. Our guide on how to find the right therapist explains what to look for.

If you are in distress right now or thinking about suicide, see our helplines and suicide hotlines worldwide.

Cite this page: TherapyRoute. Student mental health statistics. https://www.therapyroute.com/article/student-mental-health-statistics-by-therapyroute. Last updated 13 October 2026.

References

1. [1] Prevalence, age-of-onset, and course of mental disorders among 72,288 first-year university students from 18 countries in the World Mental Health International College Student (WMH-ICS) initiative. Journal of Psychiatric Research (Mason et al.), 18 February 2025 pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
2. [2] Mental disorders among college students in the World Health Organization World Mental Health Surveys. Psychological Medicine (Auerbach et al.), 3 August 2016 pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
3. [3] Trends in college student mental health and help-seeking by race/ethnicity: Findings from the national healthy minds study, 2013-2021. Journal of Affective Disorders (Lipson et al.), 18 March 2022 pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
4. [4] Inequality and mental healthcare utilisation among first-year university students in South Africa. International Journal of Mental Health Systems (Bantjes et al.), 25 January 2020 pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
5. [5] Mental health problems among medical students in Brazil: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Revista Brasileira de Psiquiatria (Pacheco et al.), 31 August 2017 pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
6. [6] Coronavirus and first year higher education students, England: 4 October to 11 October 2021. Office for National Statistics, 27 October 2021 ons.gov.uk.
7. [7] Prevalence and sociodemographic correlates of common mental disorders among first-year university students in post-apartheid South Africa: implications for a public mental health approach to student wellness. BMC Public Health (Bantjes et al.), 10 July 2019 pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
8. [8] Prevalence of depression among university students in China: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Psychology (Lin et al.), 11 April 2025 pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
9. [9] Mental Health, Suicidality, Health, and Social Indicators Among College Students Across Nine States in India. Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine (Cherian et al.), 11 May 2024 pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
10. [10] Estimating suicide among higher education students, England and Wales: August 2016 to July 2023. Office for National Statistics, 9 September 2025 ons.gov.uk.