Students’ mental health can influence whether they persist and ultimately complete college, and most institutions offer robust mental health support for them. But a new analysis from Trellis Strategies finds that students experiencing financial vulnerability or basic needs insecurity are less likely than their peers to know whether their institution offers mental health or counseling services.
Researchers analyzed disparities in anxiety, depression and loneliness among college students using findings from the postsecondary research and consulting firm’s 2025 Student Financial Wellness Survey. Financially vulnerable students reported substantially higher rates of all three mental health concerns than their financially secure peers.
At the same time, 24Â percent of financially vulnerable students reported not knowing whether their institution offers mental health or counseling services, compared with 17Â percent of their more financially secure peers.
Morgan Beckham, research analyst at Trellis Strategies and author of the report, said the finding underscores a disconnect between students’ need for support and their awareness of the resources available to them.
“A lot of institutions are investing in mental health resources, so the issue is not necessarily that there is nothing there for them,” Beckham said. “But when you are trying to reach students that have challenges or other special circumstances that are happening, it can be difficult because they might not have as much time to go and find the resources for themselves.”
“It’s important for institutions to have that proactive outreach and make sure that they’re reaching students with those campus touch points,” she added.
Mental health disparities: The differences in mental health outcomes were substantial. Students who said they could not access $500 in an emergency reported substantially higher rates of anxiety, depression and loneliness than those who were financially secure. Among financially vulnerable students, 52Â percent screened positive for likely anxiety, 37Â percent screened positive for likely depression and 63Â percent reported loneliness, compared with 30Â percent, 19Â percent and 48Â percent, respectively, of financially secure students.
Mental health concerns also increased with basic needs insecurity. Among students who reported having their basic needs met, 30Â percent screened positive for likely anxiety and 19Â percent for likely depression, compared with 53Â percent and 39Â percent, respectively, among students experiencing any basic needs insecurity. Those rates rose to 68Â percent and 56Â percent among students experiencing all three forms of basic needs insecurity measured in the analysis: food insecurity, housing insecurity and homelessness.
“It’s important that we recognize this early so that we can connect them to those resources, and so that they can receive the support before problems escalate,” Beckham said. “If they are not able to connect with those resources, what happens usually is they end up stopping out because they need to prioritize working and making sure that they’re again able to pay their bills.”
The disparities extended beyond students’ financial circumstances. Former foster youth also reported higher rates of mental health concerns than students without foster care experience. Some 53 percent of former foster youth screened positive for likely anxiety, 41 percent screened positive for likely depression and 64 percent reported loneliness, compared with 42 percent, 29 percent and 57 percent, respectively, of those without foster care experience.
Beckham said the findings illustrate how mental health challenges can intersect with other pressures students are navigating outside the classroom.
“If someone is dealing with a lot of those challenges, they might not have the time or the availability to go and look up where the campus mental health center is or how to connect with a therapist,” Beckham said. “If there’s a way to do it that’s going to better reach them, like having more virtual, flexible options, that would be better suited for someone who needs that time to focus on other things.”
A holistic approach: Beckham noted the importance of addressing student mental health through integrated, holistic support systems that connect counseling services with financial aid, basic needs resources, advising and proactive outreach.
“When they’re experiencing these financial stressors and they’re worried about whether or not they’re going to have a place to lay their head, there’s a lot of stress that comes along with that,” Beckham said. “It affects everything in your life, including whether or not you’re able to persist in your program.”
She noted that barriers such as cost, mental health stigma and distrust in institutions can make it more difficult for students to seek out support, underscoring the importance of reaching them through channels they already use and trust.
“Students can be more receptive if information is given through people in places that they already trust,” Beckham said, noting that student-led organizations can be an important avenue for communicating available resources. “That way they’re not having to go through hoops and hurdles to find something when it’s right there.”
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