Northwestern University is launching the Institute for Adolescent Mental Health and Well-Being, an interdisciplinary initiative to research issues related to the psychology and mental health of young adults and leverage its findings to benefit Northwestern students. The institute is made possible by a $25 million gift from an anonymous donor.
The initiative comes at a pivotal time, as mental health challenges among teenagers and young adults have steadily increased over the past decade. A 2023 report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 40% of American high school students say they have persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness. Another study by the American College Health Association found nearly three-quarters of U.S. college students reported moderate or severe psychological distress.
Northwestern aims to address this issue by bringing together researchers from across the University to advance the study of mental and emotional health during a critical stage of brain development.
"Conducting research that leads to better health outcomes and caring for the well-being of our students are two of our University's most important priorities," Northwestern President Michael Schill said. "This transformative gift will enable us to further both of these vital pursuits, driving new discoveries that support the needs of our students and young people globally."
Housed within the department of psychology in Northwestern's Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, the institute will build upon the strengths of the department's faculty. Consistently ranked among the top 10 psychology programs by U.S. News and World Report, the department includes faculty experts in areas such as young adult brain development, stress and resiliency, personality development, relationships and mental health. Through the institute, researchers will work alongside colleagues around the University who specialize in fields such as neurobiology, psychiatry, communication studies, education and social policy.
"Researchers across multiple disciplines are working to understand more about the brain, mind and body during young adulthood," said Adrian Randolph, dean of Weinberg College. "This institute will take a collaborative approach - something at which we excel at Northwestern. Not only will we be drawing together experts from many areas of psychology and related areas, but we will be collaborating with colleagues in Student Affairs, catalyzing new research and novel solutions."
A unique component of the institute's work will be a strategic partnership with Northwestern's Division of Student Affairs. This collaboration will allow researchers to gain a deeper understanding of the mental health challenges experienced by Northwestern students, and in turn, Student Affairs staff will have access to the latest insights and findings to implement new programming services. With this partnership, student life professionals will be able to continue to roll out research-backed strategies while providing a feedback loop for researchers to track the effectiveness of the efforts and make adjustments as needed. The aim is to create new models of research and programming that can be adopted at other universities and organizations around the world.
"College students nationwide have shown a growing need for mental health support, and we are finding that the same is true of our students here at Northwestern," said Susan Davis, vice president for student affairs. "I am eager to partner with our expert faculty to develop new resources that will better serve our student community."
In addition to supporting faculty and research, the donor's lead gift provides dedicated funding for student programming. This ensures that the most advanced learnings in mental health and well-being for emerging adults translate to services directly benefiting Northwestern students.
Citing the many challenges faced by young adults today, the donor feels it is urgent that steps be taken to support the social, mental and emotional wellness of college students. Northwestern, they said, offers both the research expertise and dedicated Student Affairs staff to make a substantial difference in this area.
Northwestern was among the first universities in the United States to offer courses in psychology in the mid-19th century, formally establishing its psychology department in 1909. The department currently has more than 40 core faculty and offers 80 undergraduate and graduate courses spanning five primary areas: clinical psychology; cognitive psychology; brain, behavior and cognition; personality, development and health; and social psychology.
