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Mental health is a topic that many deem important, but is often overlooked, underfunded, and dismissed. Given that an increasing mental health crisis is spreading throughout the United States, practicing mental wellness is proving to be integral in improving one’s well-being. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) reports that approximately 1 in 5 adults in the U.S. experience mental illness in a given year, while only 41 percent of adults with a mental illness received mental health services in the past year. University students are continuously feeling the adverse effects of mental illness, particularly due to the burden of skyrocketing tuition prices, pressure to succeed in academics, and dismal post-graduate opportunities. According to the Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors survey, about 95 percent of directors who surveyed students with significant psychological problems say that mental wellness is an increasing concern on campus, and 70 percent of directors believe the number of students with mental illnesses increased in the past year.
The Mental Health Crisis on Campus WRITTEN BY SOPHIA GALLUCCIO ART BY EVE ANDERSON NAMI notes that despite the availability of effective treatment, “there are long delays — sometimes decades — between the first appearance of symptoms and when people get help.” It is especially important that colleges provide mental health resources for their students, as approximately half of all chronic mental illnesses begin by the age of 14 — three-quarters by the age of 24 — placing college students in a historic moment of heightened psychological vulnerability. Granted, UCLA does offer mental health resources — the largest among them is UCLA’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS). Students who have UC SHIP or another accepted insurance policy qualify for CAPS services and other UCLA resources, such as Campus Assault Resources and Education (CARE), the UCLA Consultation and Response Team, and the Arthur Ashe Student Health and Wellness Center.
Campus Life
