You Won't Believe What Students Are Revealing in GU's Shocking Mental Health Survey! Is Your Mental Health at Risk?

Georgetown University is stepping up its commitment to student mental health by participating in the renowned Healthy Minds Student Survey, as announced on January 29. This comprehensive survey, developed by the University of Michigan, aims to gather vital data on student mental health and well-being through anonymous participation. Eleanor J.B. Daugherty, Georgetown’s vice president of student affairs, emphasized that the results will directly inform future health and wellness initiatives on campus.

In her communication, Daugherty expressed excitement about collaborating with the Healthy Minds Network to launch the confidential Healthy Minds Study (HMS). “Participating in this survey is your chance to help us better understand the needs and experiences of Georgetown students, and to shape future mental health and wellness programs on our campuses!” she stated. It’s an invitation for students to voice their concerns and needs regarding mental health support.

Kathryn Castle, Georgetown’s associate vice president for student health, highlighted the survey's potential to create or enhance programs that increase accessibility to mental health care. "Data gathered from Georgetown’s Healthy Minds Survey will enable the university to gain a better understanding of what students are experiencing and what supports might feel most meaningful to them,” Castle noted. “This could mean strengthening existing programs that students find helpful, and/or creating new services or programs that reflect what students say they want.”

The survey will cover a range of topics, including demographic information, general mental health queries, and specific questions related to the Georgetown community. It has randomly sampled the student body while ensuring the anonymity of all respondents. This approach not only encourages candid feedback but also aims to create a clearer picture of the mental health landscape on campus.

Caroline Keller, co-president of Georgetown’s chapter of Active Minds—a student organization dedicated to destigmatizing mental health—described the survey as a positive step towards addressing mental health concerns. “It was a happy surprise that there’s seemingly more discussion around mental health on campus,” Keller told The Hoya. “Because really all we’re here to do as Active Minds is to destigmatize it through conversation. So having the university itself through admin thinking about that discussion is also helpful.”

Recent findings from the Healthy Minds 2025 survey revealed alarming trends in college student mental health: 37% reported experiencing moderate to severe depression, and 32% faced moderate to severe anxiety. These statistics underscore the urgency of addressing mental health issues within the collegiate environment.

Hudson Witte, a respondent to the survey, shared his appreciation for the research being conducted at Georgetown. “I value research getting done and value participation in that research,” he said, adding that he finds the Georgetown-specific questions particularly compelling. However, Witte expressed concern that many mental health challenges are systemic and require broader changes beyond campus. “Georgetown is so much a product of its competition with other elite universities. Unless you see broader change across a whole spectrum of universities, I don’t know how Georgetown is going to be like, ‘Well, I think we need to really restructure our grading system so that students aren’t viciously fighting for and competing with each other to get an A,’” he elaborated.

Keller echoed this sentiment, pointing to the pervasive social pressures students face, which often exacerbate mental health struggles. “One mental wellness issue we had all on campus I would be talking about with our club is the fact that the average Georgetown student at all times is stressed out, and they feel the need to be stressed otherwise they’re not ‘doing enough’ or ‘hustling enough,’” she explained.

Looking forward, Castle expressed a desire to expand peer-to-peer programming to complement Georgetown's established resources. “I hope we are able to continue to develop more peer-to-peer programming to supplement Georgetown’s robust university resources and better meet the needs of Georgetown students,” she said. However, Witte remained skeptical about the university’s ability to tackle these mental health challenges comprehensively. “I don’t know how Georgetown itself can roll back the increasing stress and worries about professionalization on college campuses. But do I have a ton of hope? No. Am I hopeful that I’ll maybe win a gift card? Yeah,” he quipped.

As Georgetown embarks on this significant survey, it represents a crucial opportunity for students to influence the mental health resources available on campus. Engaging in this dialogue may not only lead to improved support systems but could also spark broader discussions about mental health in higher education nationwide.