Author: Stella Anukam, MD, MBA
Many people whose education is interrupted by mental health challenges struggle to return, or to find satisfying, meaningful employment if they choose not to return. They need direction, stability, and support, but may be unable to find these from friends or family. What begins as a necessary health decision can quietly turn into a long period of uncertainty, not because someone lacks ability, but because the “after leave” phase is rarely designed with real support in mind.
This is not a rare experience. Up to 26% of college students report having taken a mental health leave of absence, and mental health ranks among the top causes of college dropout overall. According to a College Students and Mental Health Survey Data, tens of millions of Americans around the nation have some college credits but no degree, and each year, fewer than 2-3% of them re-enroll. That gap between leaving and returning is where too many people get stuck. And without structured support, temporary leave can stretch into years with serious consequences.
For the individual: Unfinished education and stalled career development lead to a loss of purpose and self-esteem as individuals may experience isolation and prolonged depression. Economically, college stop-outs earn 35% less and are twice as likely to be unemployed compared to graduates. They may also carry student debt without the benefit of a degree, and their talent and ambitions are sidelined.
For families and society: Families often struggle to support a child who returns home for extended periods after leaving college, trying their best to help without creating pressure or conflict. Research on the economic and social costs of mental illness shows that a large share of those costs is carried directly by individuals and their families.
For society: We all benefit when our fellow citizens are well, but there are few structures aimed at returning people to wellness. The patterns described include increased use of health and social services and contribute to substantial long-term economic costs at the population level. In this sense, society loses much more than “productivity” and tax revenues.
So why do so many students never return to their education after leave, even when they want to?
Most students on leave continue to navigate recovery and readiness to return without structured help. Until recently, many colleges handled mental health withdrawals primarily as a risk management issue, leaving significant gaps in continuity and reintegration. As of 2024, only 43% of colleges report having a defined “program” for students returning from leave, ranging from a checklist or one-time meeting, to support groups or re-entry seminars on campus.
The current system often misses what people actually need. Therapy and medication management address clinical symptoms, but clinicians seldom offer support for reacquiring study skills, returning to school, or determining an alternate pathway. General psychiatric rehabilitation programs build skills and offer support to re-engage in valued social roles, but are typically not administered by peers in the mental health recovery community. Rehab programs specifically for students on leave are costly, and those who pursue them have already achieved a level of information, clarity, and self-determination.
Research shows that students with mental health conditions demonstrably attain educational goals at rates much closer to their peers if provided supported education services. Such services are individualized and help individuals in choosing, getting, and keeping their educational objectives. Moreover, studies have consistently shown that peer-to-peer support in the mental health recovery community provides a key component of wellbeing, and in many cases is more effective in goal attainment than other methods. The solution is a freely available peer-support option designed to support the discernment of next steps of someone who has left or considered leaving education to care for their mental health.
This bridge service is what CRC’s Workforce Program proposes to offer, and will pilot in Spring 2026. We already support peers in clarifying goals, exploring skills and interests, finding the right vocational discernment, sustaining motivation, and staying accountable through peer coaching and community support as they navigate employment. The goal of our new service is not to direct someone back to school or into a job, but to support them in moving toward long-term stability, self-directed goals, and a future that fits both who they are and who they are working to become.
If you would like more information about our new service, please email workforce@coleresourcecenter.org.