Schools need to “develop services where everyone feels seen, heard and served”, advise experts at the SPH event
Academic pressure, financial pressure. Wars abroad, mass shootings at home, and the omnipresent threat of climate change. These are just a few of the issues exacerbating the mental health crisis on college campuses across the United States.
On December 12, Boston University School of Public Health hosted a Public Health Conversation to identify and explore solutions to a dizzying array of stressors that uniquely impact today’s generation of students. Panelists for the online event, titled College Mental Health: Challenges and Opportunities, were experts and scholars in the fields of counseling, psychology, and public health. They had a wide-ranging discussion, moderated by Kate Hidalgo Bellows, A History of higher education Reporter.
The mental health of college students has been declining for years, but the well-documented effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have accelerated the pace, leading to increased rates of depression, anxiety, fear, and loneliness among young people, participants said. More than 60 percent of college students met criteria for at least one mental health problem in 2021, according to the Healthy Minds Study, an ongoing nationwide assessment of student mental health.
“We can do better. We need to do better,” said panelist Khadija Booth Watkins, associate director of the child and adolescent psychiatry residency training program at Massachusetts General Hospital. “How do we start thinking about creating a culture of health and well-being?” And provide students, caregivers, faculty and staff with the education they need and the tools they need to support themselves and support other students who are in this environment? Need?”
At Boston University, there are an array of university-wide student mental health services, such as psychotherapy, support groups, long-term care referrals, and a 24/7 emergency hotline.
“I always think very intensively about how we can have a four- to five-year window to build a safety net for our students,” said committee member Jason Campbell-Foster, dean of students at BU. “What can I do in those four years to teach them for life to be able to achieve their goals and excel in their lives, and to have the skills they need to weather any future storms?
Campbell-Foster noted that on top of academic and financial pressures, college students deal with family responsibilities, careers, relationships, other social challenges, and the often contradictory transition to college itself. He said colleges and universities should evaluate their campus climate and the specific challenges their students face, and tailor responses to what works for their community — which could include mental health training for faculty, developing peer support, partnerships with outside organizations, and soft skills workshops. For students.
“Our guiding principle is to develop services where everyone feels seen, heard and served,” Campbell-Foster said.
Trauma, especially traumatic experiences related to childhood emotional abuse and sexual violence, is a particularly prevalent cause for college students today, said Brett Schofield, associate director of the Penn State University Center for Counseling and Psychological Services and executive director of the Center for College Studies. Mental Health (CCMH). CCMH tracks and analyzes data on students receiving therapeutic treatment and advocates for more efficient mental health services. These data show that among students receiving clinical care nationwide, the percentage who reported experiencing traumatic events rose from 31 percent in 2012 to 47 percent today.
The congregate mental health landscape nationally over the past 10 years “has been really crisis-oriented,” Schofield said. “There are a lot of students who need services, and the supply of services available to treat these students is unable to accommodate that.” To respond to demand, consulting services are often forced to change their operating models and offer “quick access services”, for example, to meet demand.
He also linked identity-based discrimination to student distress: “Students who have one or more areas of discrimination are significantly more likely to Being more isolated, having more suicidal thoughts, and being sadder across the board.
Panelist Sasha Chu also studies the effects of discrimination on student distress as an assistant professor at Wayne State University in the Department of Public Health and as a co-investigator for the Healthy Minds Network, which administers the Healthy Minds Survey. Previous studies from the survey showed that although remediation rates increased for all racial/ethnic groups, Asian Pacific Islander American students Students are among the least or least likely to use mental health treatment among racial and ethnic minority students, Chu said, noting that LGBTQ+ students similarly lag behind other groups in these areas.
“About 43 percent are AAPI [Asian-American Pacific Islander] “LGBTQ+ students experiencing mental health symptoms are not currently connected to any type of formal treatment services,” Chu said. These students are “a unique group of youth who are vulnerable to mental health challenges that we know from the literature can negatively impact academic performance and cause physical health complications.”
Opportunities to protect student well-being and promote equity exist in many ways at the system level, said Sarah Lipson, associate professor of health law, policy and management, and one of the organizers of the SPH event. Lipson is also the principal investigator for the Healthy Minds Network and has extensively studied the mental health of college students.
“Some of the most important opportunities to improve mental health among college students require seeing campus systems, policies, and structures as, first, drivers of inequality and, second, as changeable — things that can be changed by decision makers in higher education and communities,” Lipson said. “The interest in college student mental health reflects a broader national conversation that emphasizes the public health imperative and opportunities to improve mental health at the population level.”
Explore related topics:
As the demands and pressures of college life continue to rise, it is becoming increasingly important to address and improve mental health on campus. With rising rates of anxiety, depression, and other mental health concerns among students, it is essential for universities to prioritize the well-being of their students. By implementing strategies such as increased access to counseling services, promoting mental health education and awareness, and creating a supportive and inclusive campus environment, students can be better equipped to cope with the challenges of college life. This article will explore various ways in which mental health on campus can be improved, and the impact it can have on the overall well-being of students.