Truths About the College Mental Health Crisis

[littlemissmartypants]

Truths About the College Mental Health Crisis
Young Millennials and Gen Z students report higher rates of anxiety and depression than ever before. We need to understand why so we can do something about it.
by Stephanie Fairyington, Thrive Global Staff Writer

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The dizzying number of headlines about the psychological state of college students -- that they’re severely anxious, depressed, even suicidal -- might leave you deeply concerned and wondering: What’s going on?

Heartbreaking recent news stories have shined a spotlight on suicides on campus and class action lawsuits against institutions perceived to have mishandled mental health-related cases.

In September alone, two major studies revealed another set of unsettling statistics: 1 in 3 college freshmen across the globe experiences symptoms consistent with at least one mental health disorder, and 1 in 5 college students contemplated suicide last year. Adding to the that, a recent newsletter from Boston University’s School of Public Health reports that 30 percent of students struggling with depression drop out, one-fifth of whom might have stayed in school with the proper treatment and intervention. Gen Zers (those born after 1995), in fact, continue to see a staggeringly steady upswing in rates of anxiety and depression since 2010.
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More info at link.

https://www.thriveglobal.com/stories/45723-9-eye-opening-truths-about-the-college-mental-health-crisis

♡lmsp

[SunSeeker]

1. When I was in college, a student jumped off the roof of the college library.

Instead of addressing student mental health or offering students counseling, they just blocked access to the library roof. That, of course, did not stop the suicides, nor did it do anything to alleviate students' mental health suffering.

[anarch]

2. I don't really envy the young these days...

the world's challenges seem more intimidating now than they did when I was young; and hell I lived through the whole constant-fear-of-nuclear-annihilation thing...still, it's hard to avoid seeing a negative trend, looking at things from an historical perspective. I dunno; maybe I'm just depressed.

I saw a response somewhere to a comment along the lines of "this point in history must be a wild time to be trying to manage mental illness"...and the response was "ain't that the truth:

patient: "I feel like my life is pointless."

therapist: "Why?"

Patient: "Impending fascism and climate change mean I probably won't live to see 60."

therapist: "Are you sure that's rational?"

Patient: *looks at camera like Jim on 'The Office'*

[nuclear pasta]

3. College and mental health: the need, the resources and the reality

Colleges/universities will craft campus policies and resources to match their views. Unfortunately, those views swing from believing that mental health is a reason to set up treatment facilities on campus (without funding), mental problems are BS to mental health is really criminal behavior that should require law enforcement. The fact is that, regardless of the referenced article, every institution of higher education will determine what is in their best interest; ie, great marketing, super applications, and few student resources that matter. My former employer believed that a class in baLLROOM dancing was worthy of funding, but professional counseling was not! This same employer did not want to address drinking on campus, because he had a drinking problem. College freshmen experience tremendous anxiety and depression issues, never suspected by admissions. These same freshmen bring tremendous baggage, as we say, to college. Family, friends, trauma, drugs, poor levels of emotional support, and suicidal ideation. We have to decide: do those young men/women deserve their right to a college education, or are they to be viewed as failures by the fucking Republicans that cannot spell Democratic or believe that only legitimate people (white, christian), should go to college, earn a living wage, and actually receive health care.