Half of Us

Did you know that nearly half of all college students reported feeling so depressed that they couldn’t function during the last school year? More than that have faced an emotional problem of some sort. Sometimes these challenges can make it difficult for students to keep up with the demands of college life, and sometimes the impact is even more devastating. In fact, suicide is the second leading cause of death among college students. With so many people struggling, why is it still hard for us to talk about “mental health?”

Nearly all mental health issues can be improved with proper treatment. When we decrease the stigma around mental health and encourage students to seek help if they need it, we are changing and saving lives.

Through "Half of Us", mtvU and The Jed Foundation want to initiate a public dialogue to raise awareness about the prevalence of mental health issues on campus and connect students to the appropriate resources to get help. In planning for the campaign, mtvU conducted extensive research on how stress and depression are affecting college students nationwide. Please click here to download and executive summary of the 2006 “mtvU College Mental Health Study: Stress, Depression, Stigma & Students.” (Source: http://www.halfofus.com/aboutus.aspx)