The Healthy Minds Study (HMS) is collaboration between PI Daniel Eisenberg and researchers in the University of Michigan School of Public Health, the multi-disciplinary University of Michigan Depression Center, and the Center for Student Studies in Ann Arbor, MI.
Dr. Eisenberg also consults and collaborates with researchers from a variety of fields including public health, social work, psychology, psychiatry, sociology, education, and economics.
HMS was designed to provide data on the most effective means to invest in the mental health of college and university students. Colleges and universities are uniquely poised to promote mental health�and can create far-reaching improvements that extend past the college experience to influence employment, productivity, relationships, and physical health later in life. However, there is little data to support evidence-based interventions for students.
The study was piloted at the University of Michigan in 2005. The first multi-campus data collection occurred in 2007, with 13 colleges and universities participating. HMS continues to grow today with annual data collections.
These first years of HMS were dedicated to the development of the questionnaire and study design. In 2010, the focus shifted to building a large, diverse group of schools for benchmarking. To make the study more accessible, the price of participation dropped. The sample size and options for customization increased. HMS continues to evolve to make participation more valuable for colleges and universities. In each subsequent year, HMS offers greater support and value to schools that enroll as a coalition , or group of similar institutions.
In 2012, the HMS introduced its newest research collaboration wtih Dr. Toben Nelson of the University of Minnesota, bringing a significant addition to the study with a new Alcohol & Other Drugs questionnaire module.