In Spring 2023 and Spring 2025, Modesto Junior College (MJC) Health Services partnered with researchers at the University of Michigan to conduct the Healthy Minds Study (HMS) for MJC students 18+.
The HMS is a voluntary survey, designed to provide data on the most effective means to invest in the mental health of college and university students. Results will help MJC Health Services staff to identify the needs and priorities of our student population, evaluate benchmarks against peer institutions, assess current programs and policies, plan for services and programs, and advocate for resources.
The HMS is sponsored by the University of Michigan. The main Institutional Review Board (IRB) for the HMS is maintained under Advarra, a provider of IRB services in North America.
Healthy Minds Study Topics:
The Healthy Minds Study (HMS) is designed to provide data on the most effective means to invest in the mental health of college and university students. MJC participated in the HMS in Spring 2023 to identify the needs and priorities of our student population; evaluate benchmarks against peer institutions; assess current programs and policies; plan for services and programs; and advocate for resources.
The study focuses on five main areas:
In the past 4 weeks, how many days have you felt that emotional or mental difficulties have hurt your academic performance?
In the past year, did you ever seriously think about attempting suicide?
If you had a mental health problem that you believed was affecting your academic performance, which people at your school would you talk to?
An estimated 64% of students at Modesto Junior College are experiencing symptoms of at least one significant mental health problem, such as depression, anxiety disorders, suicidal thoughts, self-injury, or eating disorders. From the current population this translates to almost 11,000 total MJC students with a mental health problem.
MJC's Healthy Minds data showed satisfaction rates are near 87% among students who used campus mental health services, suggesting that our services are effective.
