‘Hope connects us’: UCLA launches campaign to strengthen student mental health

Colleges across the country are facing what many leaders and doctors say is an ongoing mental health crisis, with national surveys documenting increases in anxiety, loneliness, depression and suicidal thoughts among students. What was once a growing concern is now widely recognized as one of higher education’s most urgent challenges.

At UCLA, administrative leaders, physicians, counselors, faculty, and students recently came together to confront this challenge—and connect with hope: Transforming a collective perspective into campus action, a campaign designed to coordinate mental health support services on campus, strengthen UCLA’s culture to provide the best response for students to prepare themselves in times of crisis before university. Urgent support is needed.

“We are all here because the health of our students is central to our mission as a university.” Chancellor Julio Frank told a gathering at the Luskin Conference Center on February 23. “At UCLA, we put students first.”

Throughout the day, panels, breakout sessions and workshops focus on ways to improve prevention, early detection and integration across programs and departments while challenging participants to translate ideas into next steps.

Followed by a keynote speech Thomas Parham, Former Cal State President Dominguez Hales and nationally recognized psychologist, expert panel featuring UCLA Nicole Presley A psychologist and Senior Executive Director of Student Resilience and Mental Health Services; Daniel Eisenberg Professor at the Fielding School of Public Health; and Nelson Fremer, a distinguished professor and director of psychiatry UCLA Depression Grand Challenge, Examined campus-specific data, prevention strategies and best practices.

UCLA, Presley said, is a leader in prevention, early intervention and crisis management through the Counseling and Psychological Services of Student Affairs (CAPS) and its programs such as RISE (Resilience in Your Student Experience) and CORE, the campus’ new mobile crisis response team. “But a lot more needs to be done if we’re really going to tackle the huge mental health challenges before us,” she said.

► Read more about Nicole Presley’s work in mental health.

Chancellor Frank: The Four ‘Ps’ of Addressing Student Mental Health

In his remarks, Frank, an international public health expert, framed the new campaign through a community-centered lens, in which student mental health can be collectively supported and strengthened. He emphasized that individual counseling and clinical care remain essential but urged participants to think beyond one-on-one therapy to the broader patterns, conditions, and risk factors that promote well-being.

Frank noted that while UCLA’s current work on mental health—in student services, research and classroom engagement—has been extraordinary, there is a need to expand these efforts and bring them into closer alignment.

“Together,” he said, “we have the opportunity to take this to the next level and make sure every student knows we’re here for them.”

To this end, he called for a proactive, comprehensive strategy built on four interrelated pillars: promotion, prevention, protection and preparedness.

• promotion Students lead healthy lives by encouraging physical activity, nutrition, meaningful engagement with others, regular sleep and stress reduction. These are not luxuries, Frank said, but basic elements that reduce isolation and strengthen connection.

• prevention It involves identifying risk factors—drug or alcohol abuse, for example—and intervening before they develop into a crisis or illness.

• maintenance Maintaining a campus environment free of violence, bullying, harassment and sexual assault – which is fundamental to student well-being.

• preparation Urges the university to have clear procedures and coordinated systems in place across campus to respond effectively when an acute crisis occurs.

► Read Chancellor Frank’s full statement.

“Hope binds us” is not just a slogan, Frank said. It is the university’s priority to align with it UCLA Connect, One of the major initiatives of the university A UCLA perspective Who are looking for division and community building.

“Mental health is inseparable from relationships,” Chancellor said. “When we strengthen the relationships that bind us and create spaces that encourage respectful engagement and meaningful growth, we strengthen the conditions that nurture students.”

An approach based on evidence, compassion and life experience

Throughout the day’s discussions—which drew not only on research data but also on the personal experiences of students, physicians, and leaders—several themes emerged with vivid clarity.

First, UCLA must continue its prevention and early detection efforts; Waiting until students are in crisis is too late.

Second, multiple campus systems—student affairs, residence life, counseling and health services, academic units, and faculty and student organizations—must coordinate and coordinate to intentionally address mental health issues.

And finally, campuses must work to combat stigma and normalize help-seeking by embedding mental health in everyday conversations and experiences. Reducing stigma is critical to addressing these issues — especially for troubled students who might otherwise seek help but fear they might be identified with a permanent psychiatric or medical diagnosis, Frank said.

Feelings of anxiety or depression are common emotional experiences, he stressed, and early intervention and counseling are critical to preventing such situations from worsening.

“College students experience tremendous academic and personal demands,” the chancellor said. “Acknowledging this reality helps students learn without the fear that a diagnostic label will follow.

The campaign is on

UCLA Vice President for Student Affairs Monroe Gardin Jr., who helped launch the campaign, characterized the meeting as an opportunity for reflection and a pivot point. Hope, he said, is not passive: institutions create hope intentionally – through policy, culture and coordinated care. The Guardian emphasized that the one-day event was just the opening salvo in an ongoing effort to translate collective insights into action.

In the coming months, UCLA Student Affairs and other campus partners will synthesize feedback from stakeholders, identify immediate next steps and deliver coordinated strategies to strengthen prevention, improve communication pathways and expand access to care. Collaborators from across campus will be invited to stay engaged as the campaign moves from conversation to coordination.

“Connecting with Hope is possible because of our commitment to student mental health across campus and to our commitment to ways to strengthen campus-wide efforts,” said Suzanne Ciplo, vice chancellor for student development and wellness. “While CAPS, RISE and other campus professionals will lead the way, this is an effort that requires everyone’s leadership and support.”

The phrase “Hope Connects Us” is heard throughout the day – acknowledging both grief and stress among students but also affirming that communication, compassion and collaboration can create positive outcomes.

Frank called the researchers, clinicians, faculty, staff and student leaders “a remarkable brain trust” — an ecosystem of support that students rely on.

Participants said the work ahead will be complex, requiring resources, coordination, cultural change and careful measurement. But one thing is clear: The UCLA community is determined to meet this moment with a unified, compassionate strategy in public health, shared responsibility and a commitment to connect as one UCLA.

“What sets us apart is our unwavering commitment to each other and our drive to innovate around our mental health resources,” Presley said.