Baseline assessment of campus-wide general health status and mental health: Opportunity for tailored suicide prevention and mental health awareness programming

Objective: A campus-wide assessment examined the physical and mental health status of a midsize midwestern public university. Participants: Two thousand and forty-nine students, faculty, and staff on a single college campus were assessed in March-April 2013. Methods: Participants completed an online survey with sections devoted to demographics, physical and mental health status, and suicide knowledge and experiences. Results: This study captured broad physical and mental health indicators. Students, faculty, and staff in certain demographic groups were more likely to report significant problems associated with mental and physical health. Specifically, women, faculty and staff of color, and nonheterosexual persons reported worse health outcomes. Across 8 mental health indicators, students reported consistently worse mental health than their faculty/staff counterparts. Conclusions: This paper presents findings from a significant campus-wide physical and mental health surveillance initiative. Results indicate the need for targeted physical and mental health support and intervention among these demographic groups.