About 60% of students nationwide face at least one mental health challenge.

One in three report feeling depressed, one in four report feeling isolated. Anxiety continues to be one of the most common mental health diagnoses for students. These are some of the health and wellness challenges the University of Colorado Boulder is trying to combat.

“We are working toward creating a culture where students feel their well-being is a priority and they can have candid conversations with faculty,” said Jess Doty, CU Boulder chief wellness officer.

Doty delivered the university’s first state of well-being address on Tuesday. She shared data on student, faculty and staff well-being, explained available resources and outlined a vision for the future.

At CU Boulder, 18% of students reported feeling hopeless and 37% often felt isolated. About 79% met the recommended guidelines for aerobic exercise, and 49% of students faced food insecurity.

“What is concerning here is we’re just slightly under 50% of students indicating low food security,” Doty said.

About 80% of staff and faculty reported being able to manage personal and work life, and 89% reported having access to the resources they need. About 78% have a workload that allows them to meet their job expectations.

“That means we have almost a quarter of our workforce at CU that has a workload that does not allow them to meet their expectations,” Doty said.

Doty said students, faculty and staff have provided guidance on what the university is doing well and how they could improve. For instance, faculty and staff enjoy the availability of workout classes during lunch and asked for the expansion of those classes. Students reported feeling a culture of support and wanted more flexibility with support services.

“Overall I took away three things,” Doty said. “One, we have the foundation in place which is great. We have the necessary tools, programs and services but our community, both our students, staff and faculty, have a desire to have a more meaningful desire for connection.”

The university offers programs and resources like its Health Center, Counseling and Psychiatric Services, mental health faculty and staff assistance program and WorkWell, a program and app launched in 2023 to support employee well-being that includes on-demand fitness, meditation classes and meal planning recipes.

Moving forward, the university has a 2030 vision to promote health and well-being on campus.

“We have a vision where we will foster a culture where well-being will be embedded in the fabric of our institution,” Doty said.

Since the university signed the Okanagan Charter, Doty plans to provide annual updates on progress. Signing the Okanagan Charter, which CU Boulder did in 2023, signals an elevated commitment to health and wellness. It prompts the university to review its policies and programs.

Since signing the charter, CU Boulder has created a website and an interactive map of well-being resources campus-wide. Viewers can see the offerings, and it allows the university to identify gaps and areas for improvement. For more information, visit colorado.edu/health/cu-well-being-collective.

Doty has big ideas about instating peer support for every student who comes in and providing training for every employee on campus so they can respond when a colleague or student is in distress.

“I think these are ideas we should think about going big on because mental health challenges are not going away,” Doty said.