Preliminary Findings
Although full results from my analyses are forthcoming, some preliminary findings already provide important insights. A substantial proportion of students reported having already had one or more mental disorders in their lifetime or at baseline, consistent with prior WMH-ICS research. The data showed notable rates of new incidence and persistence across disorders. First results suggest that sex and LGBTQ+ status are not only predictors for static estimates, such as prevalences, which were found in previous research , but also for some unfavourable trajectories of mental health issues.
Implications for Higher Education
The WMH-ICS data offer unprecedented insight into how mental health issues develop, recur, and persist during the first year at university.
By shifting focus from static prevalences to dynamic trajectories, this research provides universities, clinicians, and policymakers with actionable evidence to design sustained support systems. The first analyses show some sociodemographic disparities. Universities should therefore consider tailored prevention and intervention approaches, rather than one-size-fits-all programs.
Importantly, the WMH-ICS initiative has not only measured mental health outcomes but also developed and tested interventions tailored for university students, such as internet-based prevention programs and stepped-care models (see Harvard Medical School, 2025, for a list of publications). These interventions demonstrate how global research can be translated into scalable solutions that address students’ needs worldwide. Embedding such evidence-based strategies into university life can provide accessible, cost-effective support to large student populations. It is essential to ensure that universities are not only places of learning but are also recognised as public health settings that foster mental well-being and promote long-term academic success.
Thanks to the WMH-ICS data and the collaborative efforts of researchers worldwide, we are equipped with large-scale, longitudinal data to understand mental health trajectories in university students and what it takes to support them during the first years at university. I am very much looking forward to further analysing these data to gain a deeper understanding of student mental health across the globe and contribute to the translation of these findings into meaningful prevention and intervention programs.
Acknowledgements: Many thanks to my colleagues in the WMH-ICS longitudinal working group, especially Prof. Annelieke Roest and Nan Zhao (University of Groningen), Prof. Ron Kessler and his team (Harvard University), and Prof. David D. Ebert (Technical University of Munich), for their outstanding collaboration on this international project.