MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES

By Neeharika Venuturupalli and Eve Tanios

Content warning: discussion of themes such as suicide, substance abuse, and sexual assault

In a 2010 study conducted in various American universities, researchers attempted to compare students’ need for mental health services with their knowledge about the resources offered at their school. The results of the survey, which was distributed to undergraduate students, displayed a trend often echoed among conversations between college students: approximately 30% of the respondents did not know that the mental health services existed, and of the 70% who did know, they either did not have adequate enough information to be able to use them or simply did not want to. Some of the common reasons listed for not having used the resources included (1) not having enough time to use them (2) being embarrassed about seeking help or (3) believing that the resources would not help them feel better. This study raises some questions on what measures a university could take to increase knowledge about mental health resources. One of the first major efforts made towards mental health outreach in American colleges was the on-call system, which acted as a bridge between university students and mental health professionals. In a 1993 study conducted on an unnamed university campus, it was found that the university crisis on-call services were most commonly used in extreme scenarios such as suicidial thoughts, panic attacks, anxiety attacks, substance abuse, and sexual assault. 76% of these calls led to out-patient counseling and most of the calls took approximately 1.5 hours. Considering many students’ embarrassment at seeking help, it makes sense that they tend to wait until the height of a mental health issue before they seek help for it. However, one of the most common complaints about the current on-call system is the wait time associated with the services, often discouraging students from further usage of university mental health services.

While crisis on-call services are extremely beneficial at universities, it is important for them to also raise awareness of other mental health resources offered at their schools. Outreach in universities should be improved so that not only do more people know of the resources, but they also know exactly how to use them and how to access them. It is also important to address why students have not wanted to use the resources in the past.

As mentioned earlier, one of the biggest reasons for why students hesitate about using mental health resources is because they feel like they don’t have enough time to properly address a mental health issue. Students often worry about the burden of catching up on lectures and making up assignments, which makes it harder for them to take some time off to address mental health issues. Possible solutions to this could include making it easier for students to ask their professors for a mental health break without worrying about the consequences of lost time. Recently, the Illinois public school board released a statement saying that students can take up to five days off for mental health reasons. This should be implemented in universities as well, with professors providing multiple sick days that students can use for either physical or mental health reasons. Students should also not feel embarrassed about using mental health resources. There are several de-stigmatization efforts being done across American university campuses which has led to significant change in the way mental illness and treatment is viewed. Destigmatization efforts also aim to show that the services are worth using because they are able to help students improve their mental health and wellbeing. The study about crisis on-call services also suggests that most of the time when students do use mental health resources, it is when they are facing the worst part of their mental health journey. On the flip side, however, it is important to encourage students to use these resources even if they would consider themselves to be mentally stable. Consistent usage of mental health services allows for better mental health stability and could even potentially prevent extremely poor mental health circumstances. At our school, the University of Chicago, some mental health resources include a therapist on-call (773-702-3625), initial therapy appointments which can be set up through the Wellness portal, anonymous drop-in therapy sessions with licensed therapists (wellness.uchicago.edu/letstalk). There are also several mental health services offered to help students with different needs. Students struggling with their academics can use the Academic Skills Assessment Program which helps students by coaching them to develop techniques to improve their academic performance. Students concerned with substance abuse can contact a therapist through the Wellness portal to evaluate their situation. The university also offers Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College (and Graduate) Students (BASICS) to help evaluate students’ alcohol usage and come up with a plan to help them. There are many different options for therapy including individualized therapy, couples therapy, and even welcoming therapy groups. Student Wellness can also refer students to various psychiatrists, psychologists, and therapists with whom they could continue a long term plan. The abundance of mental health resources at universities are a step forward from when the only available resource was the crisis on-call services. However, most students still don’t seem to use these resources until they are in a crisis or are actively looking for help. Schools should work with faculty members and residential leaders to encourage all students to use mental health resources to uplift and help maintain students’ mental wellbeing. While many schools are moving in the right direction with destigmatization efforts and offering more resources, there is still a lot of work to be done. All students must feel comfortable using the mental health resources and no student should have to feel confused about how to receive help.