In August 2021, Willamette University officially joined the JED Campus Initiative, a 4-year evidence-based program designed to cultivate a campus community that fosters emotional wellness and works towards suicide prevention. The JED Campus Committee at Willamette University has been following the JED Campus strategic timeline and the JED Foundation’s Comprehensive Suicide Prevention framework. As part of the initiative, Willamette participated in the Healthy Minds Study (HMS) in November 2021. The HMS collects information about the mental health and well-being of college students utilizing validated psychometric tools. The instrument provides insights into the experiences of respondents in the areas of:
- anxiety,
- depression,
- eating disorders,
- loneliness,
- suicidality, and
- self-injurious behavior
Willamette received the results late last year, and members of the JED Committee have made a series of presentations to campus constituents over the course of the spring semester. The full report, including demographic information, outcomes, important takeaways, and accomplishments in the last academic year can be found through the Healthy Minds Study Results.