College students are reporting less depression. Researchers think they know why

For the third year in a row, data from the national Healthy Minds Study shows an improvement in college students’ mental health. Results show reports of severe depression dropped to 18% in 2025 from 23% in 2022, and suicidal thoughts decreased to 11% this year from 15% three years ago.

“That matters because … it seems that some of the concerted efforts to improve support for students and other populations seems to be working,” said Daniel Eisenberg, a co-principal investigator on the Healthy Minds Study and a public health researcher at UCLA.

Greater availability of mental health care, therapy and medication for college students, he said, coupled with more efforts to prevent mental health problems from getting worse, appear to be helping. And that underlines that just as important as