Mental health help & college
Over one-third of college freshmen screen positive for clinically significant levels of anxiety and depression, according to a recent study by Canadian researchers published in the journal BJPsych Open.
“Mental health challenges have always been present on college campuses, but compared to a generation ago, the problems college students present with today seem to be more interconnected to serious real-life socio-economic stressors, pre-existing conditions that are not well managed and hopelessness,” said Sherry Skyler Kelly, a clinical psychologist and neuropsychologist and founder of PositiviTeens workshops.
The COVID-19 pandemic only intensified mental health challenges for college students dealing with stress, grief, loss, anxiety, financial burdens and other contributing factors.
Mental health issues facing today’s college students mirror those of the general population, said Shane G. Owens, psychologist and the assistant director of campus mental health at Farmingdale State College in Nassau County, New York.
“In terms of stressors, many students come to campus feeling pressured to do very well without adequate practice with the skills required for peak performance,” Owens said.
Young adulthood is when many mental health difficulties start, so mental health is an essential part of any college’s mission, Owens said.
To meet the demand for care colleges have added counseling staff if financially possible.
“Many colleges shepherd students with similar issues into groups as opposed to individual treatment. Many colleges act as triage and referral services, helping students to find help off-campus. These approaches, while less than ideal, are the best available options,” Owens said.
A common problem is that there are not enough mental health services offered on campus, Kelly said. College counseling centers offer free or low cost care but may limit the number of visits. For many students the short term therapy offered by campus counseling centers is not enough, Kelly said.
“There is not a one-size-fits all solution to the mental health needs of today’s college students,” she said.
Fortunately, treatments are more effective and accessible than in the past, and students are also more likely to seek help because of the decrease in the stigma associated with mental health problems, Owens said.
“There needs to be better education of students to let them know it’s OK to seek out help,” Kelly said. “Along with student-focused efforts, there needs to be greater awareness among faculty, staff and residential life directors about identifying mental health needs among students, to stressors on students and understanding of social-cultural barriers to accessing care.”
Almost 90% of college students report feeling overwhelmed by all they have to accomplish, according to the American College Health Association.
“Students who feel overwhelmed should first stop and acknowledge that feeling,” Owens said. “Then they must decide what they can do to fix the current problem and bring them closer to their medium- and long-term goals. There is no substitute for setting and achieving healthy goals that are in line with your values.”
“Before starting college, or even choosing a college, be honest with yourself about the needs you may have for structured emotional support and academic support,” Kelly said. “Prepare for needing services before you actually have to access them.”
Not having the appropriate support for learning differences can contribute to college stress. College students and their parents should do advance work to ensure services are in place before arriving on campus, said Kelly, who offered the following key questions to ask:
• What student counseling and mental health services are available on campus?
• What are the number of free counseling sessions you are allowed each year?
• What is the cost of counseling after I reach my limit?
• What if I need psychiatric care and/or medication?
• Does my student health care coverage include off-campus mental health care?
• How are prescribed medications managed on campus?
• What if I need help paying for medications?
• What are the crisis hotline or text hotline numbers?
• What rights do students and parents have regarding campus mental health care?
“College is hard, and mental health difficulties are common. Many of the people around you who appear to have it all together are silently dealing with similar issues. Be the one to seek help and be the one to offer it when you think someone needs you,” Owens said.