How to engage families around mental health for student success
As students transition from home to campus life, they often face challenges related to independence, academic pressures, and social changes, all of which can increase their risk for anxiety, depression, and stress. In fact, more than 86% of students report they feel stressed often, and 82% feel anxious often.
And who do they call when they don’t know where to turn? Their parents. 99% of students communicate with their families at least once a week.
But parents need to be well-informed in order to help their students’ well-being. We sat down with Sharon Brownlow, Director of Parent and Family Programs, Joi Alexander, Wellness Empowerment Director, and Dr. Andrew Stochel, Staff Psychologist/QPR Coordinator at Georgia Institute of Technology to talk about empowering parents to support their students’ mental health.
Get their advice below, or jump to the webinar recording below!
Involve students and families before they’re on campus
“Georgia Tech requires all incoming students to take an online module focused on mental well being. That is very intentional because we want to get this information about mental well being to students before they arrive on campus — what it is, the benefits, and what resources are available on campus if they find themselves in need and need support,” shared Alexander.
Since completed at home before moving to campus, the step ensures all family members have a baseline on what mental health support is available and where they can go for help when needed.
Other ways to include mental health as part of the new student transition? Consider sources like prospective parent and student communications or parent orientation.
Know what students will be worried about
Universities like Georgia Tech are known for their rigor, but students may not realize that until they are in the thick of it.
“Our students are really smart, really bright. They're coming from being big fish in a small pond. Now there's a big pond; they might still be a bigger fish, but it's a little harder. That's actually a major theme that we work with students on — how to understand failure,” Stochel said.
But stress isn’t always related to academics. In addition to peer pressure, mental health, and questions about how to get help, Stochel finds students frequently coming to him about relationships.
A couple of weeks into the semester? You’re in “the red zone” where students are homesick and trying to hang in there. Coming up on midterms? Students will be lamenting to parents about test anxiety. Knowing what and when students will be sharing with parents will help you predict what information to push to parents so they have the knowledge on hand.
Empower parents to provide direction
If a student is struggling with poor study habits, they should head towards an academic or success center on campus. Going through a tough break-up? They’ll be looking for guidance, but not from their academic advisor. You want parents to be informed on what resources are available on campus and be confident in steering their students in the right direction.
You may think that since some basic information is on the institution website you're covered, but perhaps not. In our 2025 Family Engagement Report parents shared that while they believe knowing about mental health support resources is important, they don’t know where to find it. Push that information directly to them to ensure visibility.
Make mental health a normal part of the conversation and community
Mental health is a topic that is regularly included in Georgia Tech’s parent communications. From posts in their portal to emails about related events, the topic is purposefully prevalent.
Georgia Tech also publishes a monthly newsletter for all of campus that highlights each dimension of wellness. They make sure this is shared with parents to both normalize the topic and provide additional information to those supporting from home.
Watch the discussion live!
Need a place to share important information with your families to support students?