There’s a mental health crisis spreading across our colleges and universities. If you’re a parent of a college-aged child – or an aunt, uncle or grandparent – you should be very concerned. If you’re a college administrator, college student mental health issues shouldn’t be coming as a surprise to you.
The Disturbing Facts
It’s time we think seriously about college student mental health and the emotional turmoil that is affecting so many of our college students. You might be surprised, and probably shocked, at these statistics provided in an article recently by Gene Beresin, Harvard Medical School Professor of Psychiatry:
- 73% of college students experience some sort of mental health crisis during college.
- Almost 50% of college students have had a psychiatric disorder in the past year.
- Almost 33% of college students report having felt so depressed, they had trouble functioning.
- More than 80% of college students felt overwhelmed by all they have to do.
- 45% have felt that things were hopeless.
- College directors of counseling services say demand for counseling services has grown at least five times faster than average student enrollment.
- Only 25% of students with a mental health problem seek help.
These problems, of course, lead to other problems, starting with diminished school performance. In a University of Michigan study, depression was shown to be a significant predictor of not only GPA, but also the likelihood of dropping out. In addition, the co-occurrence of depression and anxiety is associated with a significant additional drop in GPA.
With all this going on, alcohol and drug abuse cannot be far behind. Even suicide comes into play. Yes, this mental health crisis is serious, and something must be done.
The Rest of the Story
Let’s start this section by being perfectly transparent: Espyr, offers a Student Assistance Program (SAP) providing colleges and universities with licensed behavioral health experts that support students with free and confidential professional assessment, counseling, referral services, coaching and other support services. Would we like every campus to offer a customized Espyr SAP? Yes. Would this completely solve the problem? No. But it is a big piece in solving the puzzle.
Unfortunately, for the typical college student in emotional trouble, there are too many factors getting in the way of finding any kind of help. According to the Huffington Post article quoted previously these include:
- Age-Specific Vulnerabilities – About 50% of psychiatric disorders begin by age 14.
- Immature Brains – The human brain does not fully mature until about age 26. Until we reach our mid-twenties, the brain is largely driven by emotion.
- The Stigma of Mental Health Problems – This stigma exists for adults, as well as college-aged children. Students may worry about a “black mark” on their record or being judged and categorized by peers.
- Limited On-Campus Services – Even in small schools, the ratio of certified counselors to students can be 1:2,000 – or worse.
Making Things Better
This situation cannot be fixed overnight. But we have to begin. Just looking at some of the issues and problems already mentioned, the action plan is fairly clear:
- Increase Access to Qualified Help – For the suffering students who want to get help, they need to have places to go, people to call or websites to visit. Of course, an SAP from Espyr or elsewhere can help in this regard, and has proven repeatedly to be extremely valuable to thousands of students and their families.
- Increase On-Campus Learning – Key to prevention is accessible education about mental health issues, as well as promoting all options for finding help. SAPs like Espyr’s can help faculty and administrators with training, workshops, and access to educational resources.
- Decrease the Stigma – Again, education is key. The more students realize they’re not alone in their suffering, the more they’ll be willing to seek help.
- Promote Student Well-Being – Good mental health is promoted by good nutrition, exercise, good sleep habits, meditation, discussion groups and more. These activities should be part of every campus curriculum, whether official or not.
These suggestions are not exhaustive, by any means. But it’s a step in the right direction, a step towards saving our children from unnecessary suffering. Maybe, even, saving their lives.
For more information on how to develop a customized Student Assistance Program for your educational institution, call Espyr at 866-570-3479 or go to espyr.com.
