Mental health services provided by Student Health Center May is Mental Health Month

David Schub / Roundup dschub.roundupnews@gmail.com

May is Mental Health Month.

Organizations are spreading the word that there is help out there, with services including no-to-low-cost therapy. Between attending classes, studying for exams, paying bills, tending family needs and trying to fit in a social life, the pressure can be overwhelming.

While some individuals can handle the curveballs life throws them, others can’t and find themselves on a downward spiral of losing control.

According to an article in the Los Angeles Times, a 2010 survey of community college students found that 50 percent of respondents reported feelings of sadness, loneliness or hopelessness and more than one-third said it was difficult to function due to major depression. Additionally, 8 percent of respondents reported they had considered suicide and another 3 percent said they attempted suicide.

Suicide is the second leading cause of death among college students, accounting for more than 1,000 deaths per year on college campuses.

“Be aware though, people who have mental illness are not violent or dangerous,” according to a document from a PowerPoint presentation by Dr. Deborah Tull, director of special services at Los Angeles Harbor College. “The National Institute of Mental Health research indicates that only 1 percent are potentially dangerous.”

With the technology world booming, including online mediums such as Facebook, it is now the social norm for millions of people around the world. Yet, social media can be detrimental to one’s health. Posting a status is a public journal for everyone to see, both the positive and negative.

The ultimate goal of Facebook users was to be as popular as possible. A friend list in the 1,000s meant making connections and bonding with new friends over hobbies, movies, etc.

However, seeing friends, either real or virtual, post their photos from Australia or a concert, accomplish a huge goal, or buy extravagant items, can give others a sense of jealousy and feelings can become worse about one’s self.

Facebook and Instagram have become the newest outlet for cyber bullying by posting unwanted posts or photos in the cyber-world. Several young girls have committed suicide after fellow students have made negative comments toward and about them.

California passed Assembly Bill 9 two years ago, which gives school districts the right to suspend and, in some cases, expel students who are caught bullying through the Internet, including through the use of cell phones, computers, websites and email.

In 2011, the California Community College District was awarded $7 million for mental health training to help students cope with stress, anxiety, depression and other mental health issues.

The California Community Colleges have also started a program called Kognito, a 40-minute interactive session for role-playing to help not only at-risk students but also veterans who have suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. This program will be free to college students through the spring of 2015.

“We are all gate-keepers, being creatures of habit,” said Beth Benne, director of Student Health Center. “We sit near the same people in class and see the same people day in and day out. If a classmates’s behavior changes, we should be aware, be concerned and ask the right questions to help them.”

With all the resources available, getting help is at one’s fingertips either in person, over the phone or even online. The last resort should be having to call 911.

“There are many ways to cope with everyday stressors, including exercising, healthy eating, getting between seven to eight hours of sleep, having a good social support system, knowing when to say no to others without feeling guilty and most importantly self-management,” said Maria Preser, assistant professor of psychology at Pierce College.

The Pierce Student Health Center and the Building Healthy Communities Initiative (BHCI) will be presenting the film “First Break,” a documentary that explores the impact of a “first break” in mental illness on three young adults and their families. The movie will be shown on Wednesday, May 8 from 11:15 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. in the Great Hall with a discussion followed by BHCI doctoral intern Dylan Keenberg.

Pierce has three licensed psychologists on staff during the semester who work up to 30 hours a week.

“Suicide is a cry for help, don’t shut the door on someone who really needs it,” said Benne.