Mental health is a major concern on college campuses across the world. Nearly one-third of first-year college students are impacted. But what are colleges doing to help these students?
Researchers from the World Health Organization surveyed 14,000 first-year college students from different countries. They found that 35% struggled with mental illness. Columbia University Psychology Professor Randy P. Auerbach, says this finding "represents a key global mental health issue." They found that the most common mental illness was a major depressive disorder, followed by a generalized anxiety disorder.
Though many colleges have made giant strides in advancing their mental health resources, colleges are still ill-equipped to deal with the surge of mental healthcare needs. The number of students who need help exceeds the resources of most counseling centers, "resulting in a substantial unmet need for mental health treatment among college students," says Auerbach.
College psychiatrists also must be sensitive to the unique vicissitudes of the school calendar and the developmental trajectory of college life. Decisions about when to start a medication or even which medication to prescribe might depend on how close a student is to exams or summer break. For example, a student experiencing severe anxiety a week before exams probably is better treated with a short-term benzodiazepine prescribed on an as-needed basis than a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, which in the first few weeks might only disrupt the student's ability to function academically and not improve symptoms.
Some colleges are trying to use technology to help students manage their mental health. Colorado State University worked with a company called Grit Digital Health about creating something to reach students who may not speak out about their mental illness. Together, they developed YOU at College, a website that gives students information on how to recognize mental health issues and access to resources on campus.
So even with the rise of mental illness around campuses around the world, colleges have taken great measures to help their students. By providing resources on campus and developing technology, they truly show that they care about their students.