The Mental Health Crisis on Campus

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.

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.

In a 2016 press release, UC counseling centers described a 54 percent increase in students seeking access to mental health services since 2007, with 13 percent of UC students receiving campus counseling services in 2015 (suggesting 5,844 UCLA students treated). The UC pledged to hire 85 more clinicians across the University of California campuses, predicting an average increase of 9.4 clinicians per UC. The press release stated that “the University of California is taking action to address the issue [of increasing mental illness in students and increased demand of mental health resources] … to increase access to mental health services, reduce wait times for students, and complement outreach and prevention efforts.”

In an apparent attempt to fulfill its promises, the UC implemented the #UCLAWellness Initiative Referendum. The referendum is meant to expand the health and wellness services at UCLA through CAPS and Undergraduate Students Association Council (USAC), but puts the burden of funding on its students — charging each of them $6 per quarter, regardless of services used or the quality of services received.

As of 2017, however, UCLA has 44,947 enrolled students and the CAPS website lists only 47 clinicians and psychiatrists on staff, with a supporting staff of approximately 20 clinicians in training and administrative support. Despite the UC’s efforts, their services are still clearly falling short for students.

In September of 2017, as part of the Depression Grand Challenge, a campaign to cut depression rates in half by 2050, UCLA offered free 15-minute mental health screenings. Students diagnosed with mild depression were offered an online program, and those diagnosed with severe forms were connected to UCLA counseling services.

While an admirable attempt by UCLA to meet the overwhelming demand for mental health resources, the online program is impersonal, and students should be able to receive in-person counseling if they so wish. The screening is designed to solve short-term problems instead of long-term problems, but people who are deemed low-risk still deserve treatment, particularly to prevent the potential for increased severity. Additionally, 45 percent of students screened at UCLA through the Depression Grand Challenge were identified with at least mild depression or anxiety, and only 23 percent of those students used the campus counseling service.

During this year, students reported waiting up to a month-and-ahalf to see clinicians, expressed dissatisfaction with their care, or did not bother seeking out mental health care due to bureaucratic red tape. Part of this issue results from CAPS losing an average of one therapist per month since 2016, as noted in a 2017 statement by Jamie McDole, vice president of University Professional and Technical Employees, the union that represents UC counseling psychologists among other UC employees.

Given a lack of diverse clinicians to choose from, and a lack of clinicians in general, students are increasingly subjected to services focused on accommodating students’ short-term mental health needs, rather than much needed long-term care. The inability to build a relationship with a therapist over time, or find a therapist prepared to meet a student’s needs, leaves students with a subpar mental health resource.

Another barrier to proper mental health care is the yearly limit CAPS places on counseling sessions for students. In an attempt to alleviate long wait times and overwhelming demands, the number of free counseling sessions offered at CAPS for UC SHIP holders dropped from ten session in 2015 to six in 2016 — three during the academic year and three during summer sessions. Students without UC SHIP have a $15 co-pay and a yearly limit of three sessions. Some are referred to the Behavioral Health Services in Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center if they require long-term treatment.

Students are filling the hole left by UCLA’s lack of mental health resources. An abundance of clubs that focus on destigmatizing mental illness, treating mental health, and promoting mental wellness have emerged on campus. Clubs such as Active Minds, a national organization aimed at changing the conversation surrounding mental health; Bridging Minds Through Art, a student group connecting the mental health community through the use of artistic expression; Psypher, a organization promoting the mental and physical well-being of UCLA dancers by using movement as a way to express and discuss mental health; and OUTlet, a weekly dialogue series that explores how mental illness is experienced within queer communities, are examples of student organizations bridging the gap left by the UC.

CAPS has proven to be ineffective in treating the needs of UCLA students, and UCLA students have taken charge of the situation themselves to provide and advocate for the care they need. Students are stepping up in ways that UCLA has yet to match.

While admirable and necessary, providing the (free) time, labor, and effort to better the mental health resources on campus, students should be able to focus on their studies and extracurriculars instead of supplementing services the university needs to provide for them.

WRITTEN BY SOPHIA GALLUCCIO ART BY EVE ANDERSON