A Critical Analysis of Discourse on Student Mental Health in Higher Education Institutions in the United States

Abstract The topic of this study is the analysis of the discourse surrounding mental health, more specifically in higher education institutions in the United States. In recent years, discussions about mental health have received increasing attention in many spheres, including media and academia. Discussing mental health, seeking information about mental health disorders and researching them is crucial, as university is undoubtedly a difficult experience for every student. With a lot of material on the topic of students' mental health, language has not been researched as a tool for higher education institutions to communicate and discuss mental wellbeing. Therefore, research is necessary and relevant not only on the information and resources that universities provide for staff and learners, but also on the discourse around them. This study critically analyzes the discourse of student mental health in the United States by examining campaigns promoted by prominent institutions of higher education in the United States. The purpose of the study is to observe the use of language in the field of student mental health, to identify its distinctive features, and to discover how it affects the general attitudes toward mental health in society at large. To achieve the objectives of the study, social campaigns on the topic of students' mental health created by universities such as Harvard University, Boston University and Cornell University were collected and carefully analyzed. The theoretical chapter of this paper describes the meaning of mental health and the theoretical rationale for its study, the reasons for the deterioration of mental health among young people, the mental health crisis among US students as well as the stigma around it, the concept of discourse, critical discourse analysis and its types. As a result of critical discourse analysis, similarities were found in the approaches of universities in addressing students' mental health at the textual, discursive, and social practice levels. Positive trends in the development of student mental health discourse were identified and it was concluded that universities in the United States are using their power to de-stigmatize mental health. Key words: mental health, discourse, USA, higher education, sociolinguistics, critical discourse-analysis.