Today’s Staff Editorial
Society harbors many misconceptions about mental health problems. As everything from depression and schizophrenia to anxiety and suicidal thoughts can fall under the umbrella of mental health, society has made a habit of thrusting the issues under the rug, and people are afraid to share any information about their mental health problems. In fact, the stigma surrounding mental illness could prevent many students from seeking help. But more people are affected by mental health issues than you would think — especially college students.
Attending an institution of higher education is undoubtedly stressful. With the increased workload, the pressures of being on your own and the introduction to a (most likely) highly different environment than anything you’ve ever experienced, it’s a wonder so many students are able to graduate. According to the spring 2000 National College Health Assessment, about 60 percent of college students report feelings of hopelessness at least once in a school year, and about 44 percent report feeling so depressed that they have difficulty functioning. But most of us pull through, working it out and getting used to this new adventure we have all decided to tackle together. And a good portion of us manage to traverse the depths of our environment with help — whether it’s through counseling, medication or (lots and lots of) alcohol. What’s horrible is that excessive drinking is probably the most accepted path through college of the three.
What our generation of college students needs to realize is that for the time being, we are under more stress than students who graduated just five years ago. Our country is still struggling with a recession. Unemployment numbers are sky-high, and professors make a point of frequently reminding students of this. We are hyper-aware of the problems in this country because they have such an effect on us. “A 2012 study by the American College Counseling Association found 37.4 percent of college students seeking help for mental and emotional problems have severe psychological problems, up from 16 percent in 2000,” Bloomberg Businessweek reported. It also reported that depression and anxiety are the most prevalent mental health problems among students.
Put simply: College students can have mental problems. It’s allowed. And universities across the nation seem to be working toward providing help and breaking down barriers surrounding the mental heath stigma.
Last year, this university’s mental health services department in the University Health Center saw a 20 percent increase in total patients, with a 50 percent increase in those seeking urgent care for psychological problems. It currently provides short-term individual therapy, group therapy, medication evaluations, a suicide prevention program and services for mental health emergencies. The University Health Center is looking to allocate additional funds to its department through a proposal to raise next year’s student fee, which would free up the psychiatrists’ time to respond to the most pressing issues. The increase would fund the salary for a nurse practitioner.
This editorial board applauds the heath center’s efforts to combat such a daunting, expanding problem. It’s imperative administrators continue to take students’ mental health seriously, and this is just another step toward improving services on the campus.
Obviously, there is always more to be done. The $15 fee to visit the health center can often be an obstacle to students in need of mental health services. Opposition to the fee hike, proposed by Health Center Director Sacared Bodison on Sept. 15, mostly seems to come from the fact that it is a hike in student fees. It’s understandable that students don’t want to increase the $1,653 they already pay — but it’s an extra $5. It’s not this cause that’s going to thrust a huge burden on students; the burden’s already there. The good an extra $5 per visit could do for a vast amount of students seems to outweigh the meager hike. We’re not generally in favor of asking students to give more money than we already do to this university, but since this is the only option that has been presented thus far, it’s better than nothing.
Thankfully, the Help Center and the university’s Counseling Center offer free services. So until the University Health Center is able to devise a plan to help students thoroughly, students have somewhere else to turn. Perhaps the next step for university officials and administrators is to figure out how to reallocate funds currently collected so that mental health resources are prioritized. With an ever-present issue like mental health, it’s important for the university to be able to adapt.
