Graduate Student Mental Health: A Call to Awareness and Action
By: Dr. Deborah Tollefsen, Vice Provost & Dean of the UofM Graduate School
May is mental health awareness month, and I want to take a moment to speak about graduate students and mental health.
Research on graduate student mental health is sobering. Studies have found that graduate students are up to six times more likely to experience anxiety and depression than the general population. The reasons are complex: social isolation, the solitary and abstract nature of their research, uncertain career outcomes, and the continuous scrutiny that defines graduate training. Together, these factors create a high-risk environment. The data is clear: there is a mental health crisis in graduate education.
I want to take this moment to speak directly to graduate students—at the University of Memphis and beyond: you are not alone. You matter. Please seek help if you’re struggling. To my colleagues working with graduate students, please check in with them regularly. Don’t be afraid to ask them how they are feeling and how they are coping.
Resources available to University of Memphis students (graduate and undergraduate):
- The University Counseling Center Phone: 901.678.2068 Location: Wilder 214 Website>
- The Psychological Services Center Phone: 901.678.2147 Location: Psychology Building Room 126 400 Fogelman Drive Website>
Other resources: https://www.memphis.edu/shcs/resources/mental-health.php
University of Memphis Full-time Graduate Assistants with health insurance benefits through Wellfleet
Your behavioral health benefits and their CareConnect service offer access to licensed behavioral health clinicians 24/7/365 via telephone and website access.
Resources available to all graduate students regardless of what college/university they attend:
- National Grad Crisis Line 877-GRAD-HLP
- 988 Lifeline
- Crisis Text Line
Resources for those who want to help: