Late adolescence and early adulthood have always been challenging times, but the need for mental health resources for college students may never have been higher than it is right now.
Valor Behavioral Health provides a safe and supportive environment where young adults can receive personalized outpatient care for mental health concerns and substance use disorders (addictions). For additional details or to schedule a free assessment, contact us today.
Learn more about mental health treatment in Atlanta or verify your insurance now.
Common Mental Health Concerns Among College Students
In recent years, the American Psychiatric Association (APA), the National Education Association (NEA), and The Journal of Pediatrics have all used the word “crisis” when describing the general state of mental health on college campuses.
In addition to managing the stress of earning a degree and finding a job, millions of current college students are also dealing with anxiety, depression, suicidality, substance use, and similar challenges.
Mental Health
Every year since 2007, the Healthy Minds Network has conducted an online survey of mental health concerns among college students throughout the U.S. The statistics below are from the 2024-2025 data report.
Mental health among college students:
- Depression: 17% of students had severe depression and 19% had moderate depression
- Anxiety: 14% of students had severe anxiety and 18% had moderate anxiety
- Eating disorders: 28% of students are likely to have an eating disorder
- Loneliness: 21% of students said they often feel left out and 24% said they often feel isolated from others
- Suicidal ideation: 11% of students had thoughts of suicide in the past year
- Suicidal behaviors: 5% of students made a suicide plan and 2% attempted suicide
- Self–harm: 27% of students engaged in nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI)
- Medication: 29% of students took at least one type of medication for their mental or emotional health
- Therapy: 38% of students said they’d received some type of counseling from a medical or mental health professional
Substance Use
A September 2024 study in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence Reports (DADR) found that college students were more likely to use alcohol, marijuana, prescription drugs, and hallucinogens than were non-students in the same age range. They were also more likely to be addicted to alcohol or cannabis, but less likely to have opioid use disorder.
Data from the DADR study on past-year substance use among college students:
- Alcohol: 80.5% of college students consumed alcohol
- Binge drinking: 22.7% of students had at least one binge drinking episode
- Prescription drugs: 5.6% of students reported past-year use of prescription drugs for nonmedical purposes
- Marijuana: 19.2% of students used a cannabis product
- Polysubstance use: 18.7% of students said they’d used two or more substances at the same time
- Addiction: 21.8% of college students met the criteria for a substance use disorder as defined in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5)
- Treatment: Only 4.8% of students who met the addiction criteria received any type of treatment for their compulsive substance use
Mental Health Resources for College Students in Atlanta
The Atlanta metro area is home to several renowned institutions of higher learning, including Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), Emory University, and Georgia State University.
Each of these schools offers a host of mental health resources for college students. There are also a variety of off-campus and online support services that may be beneficial for certain students.
Georgia Tech
At Georgia Tech, student mental health services are coordinated by the Center for Mental Health Care & Resources (CMHCR)
CMHCR programming includes:
- 24/7 crisis counseling
- Individual, group, and couples counseling
- Assessments and testing
- Psychiatric clinic
- Services for students who are struggling with substance use
- Peer coaching
- Referral services
Emory
Emory University students who need help for a mental or behavioral health concern may find that assistance through the school’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) program.
CAPS resources for Emory students include:
- Individual therapy
- Group and couples counseling
- Referrals for specialized substance use services
- Referrals for inpatient and outpatient mental health treatment
- Peer support for non-urgent mental health needs
- Suicide prevention training
Georgia State
The mission of Georgia State University Counseling Center is to promote personal growth and resilience among more than 53,000 students on six campuses.
Mental health resources for GSU students include:
- 24/7 crisis consultation
- Same-day consultations
- Individual and group counseling
- Psychiatry services
- Telehealth
- Client advocacy
- Student victim assistance
- Wellness workshops and events
External Resources
Some area college students may prefer to get mental or behavioral health support from sources outside their school. Options for those students include peer-led support groups that are affiliated with several nationally respected organizations.
Off-campus support groups in the Atlanta area include:
- Alcoholics Anonymous: List of Atlanta-area meetings
- SMART Recovery: Atlanta-area meeting finder
- National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI): Peer-led support groups in Georgia
- Depression & Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA): Support groups in the metro Atlanta area
- National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD): Virtual support group schedule
Learn More About Mental Health Treatment for College Students in Atlanta
When college students in the Atlanta area have mental health needs that exceed the level of care they can receive via on-campus student resources or off-campus peer support groups, Valor Behavioral Health is here to help.
Treatment options for college students at our center in Atlanta, GA, include a partial hospitalization program (PHP), intensive outpatient program (IOP), evening IOP, virtual (online) IOP, and outpatient program (OP). In each program, students can expect to receive personalized, evidence-based clinical services and compassionate support from a team of highly skilled professionals.
Call 866-859-3442 today to learn more, or verify your insurance now.
