It is getting to be that time in the semester where all of us are stressed. Finals are approaching, due dates are nearing and the ever-looming grades are upon us. This is a time of immense stress for students and something needs to be done about it. In the past, I have written about the college mental health crisis, but nothing has improved since I wrote that article. Stress and anxiety continue to be a major part of the college mental health crisis.
Mental health issues in college can lead to a variety of other issues. According to Dr. Eugene Beresin, professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and director of the Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds, “Mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, eating disorders and substance use are associated with lower GPA and [a] higher probability of dropping out of college.” The effects of the college mental health crisis are far-reaching and pose a major problem to both students and faculty. Colleges and universities need to work on solving this crisis in order to do what is best for their students, and there are a variety of ways that they can improve.
In the past few years, there has been a massive increase in need and demand for more student counseling services, not only for students with severe mental disorders, but also for students who just want to talk with someone about the stress of their daily lives and learn how to better manage it. Students today have a major problem getting access to the psychological services they might need. A 2017 study found that at smaller universities, like NSU, the ratio of mental health counselors to students was 1-to-1,000-2,000.
Even with the increased demand for student counseling services, only about 25% of college students that need these services actually seek them, which leads to another cause of the college mental health crisis: the stigma of mental health. Stigmatization of mental illnesses has caused individuals that would normally seek psychological treatment to avoid it. This only makes their symptoms worse and something needs to be done to help these individuals.
The college mental health crisis is something that we as college students can work to solve together. If you know that one of your peers is dealing with a mental health issue —whether that be anxiety, depression or any other problem— encourage them to seek help or find someone to talk to about their problems. If you are experiencing your own mental health concerns, try reaching out to the Henderson Student Counseling Center. Henderson has many certified mental health counselors well equipped to help any student.
Photo: C. Erfurt
