Is Student Mental Health a Matter of Mission?

Abstract

This essay presents a Catholic perspective on the growing concern for student mental health on college campuses. Drawing on the three characteristics of Catholic undergraduate education put forward by the seminal 1967 Land O’Lakes summit, which together engage the intellectual, social, and spiritual dimensions of campus life, the authors argue that student mental health should concern all who are committed to the mission of Catholic higher education. Their interdisciplinary analysis details how and why staff, faculty, and administrators should participate in the promotion of students’ mental well-being.