By the numbers: Stress on campus

30%

The percentage rise in students seeking appointments at counseling centers between 2009–10 and 2014–15, even though student enrollment grew by only 5 percent during that time, according to a survey of 139 college and university counseling centers.1 That's likely because of the success of public education campaigns and other efforts to identify at-risk students and refer them to counseling, according to the report.

61%

The percentage of college students seeking counseling who report anxiety, according to the survey. Other concerns include depression (49 percent), stress (45 percent), family issues (31 percent), academic performance (28 percent) and relationship problems (27 percent).1

1,737:1

The mean student-to-counseling-staff ratio at colleges and universities, according to a survey of counseling center directors. Smaller institutions had smaller ratios, on average (705:1 at schools smaller than 1,500 students), while larger institutions had larger ratios (2,624:1 at schools with more than 35,000 students).2

56%

The percentage of counseling center directors who say their professional identity is psychology. Thirty percent say it is social work, 10 percent other, 2 percent higher education administration, and less than 1 percent each medicine and nursing.2

1Center for Collegiate Mental Health 2016 Annual Report. Available at http://ccmh.psu.edu/publications/.

2The Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors Annual Survey, 2016. Available at www.aucccd.org.

by Lea Winerman