Key points

Open-ended wellness questions can spark real conversations.

Thoughtful timing and respectful boundaries create safer, richer conversations.

Active, distraction-free listening enhances trust and connection.

“Fine.”

If that’s the only answer ever get from your college student, then it’s time to up your game on what to ask and how to listen.

Letting students know that their mental health is important—not just their grades or resume-builders—helps them understand you aren’t just prying into their lives, but that you genuinely care and understand what a struggle it can be to stay mentally healthy in college.

Picking a time when they aren’t exhausted or running off to the next thing is essential. Accepting that they might reject a question, and not pushing it, is respectful and

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