Orientation is the first opportunity to discuss accessibility resources and to evaluate accommodations, but far from the last stop. Students can call during business hours and speak with a counseling professional to establish individual or group counseling (on- or off-line), get outpatient referrals, and learn coping skills. Another peer resource is Creating Respect, Educating Wellness (by and for) Students (CREWS). The CSU Health Network offers a variety of services and programming tailored for both individuals and groups. Individual therapy, available by telehealth or in person, is results-oriented and short-term.
- The other piece that I talk about a lot is we consult with a lot of students who actually are wanting to care for friends—sometimes family, too—but friends that are students here.
- Looking beyond counseling services, colleges and universities have an opportunity to build more comprehensive, scalable solutions, which support crisis and suicide prevention, all while helping to improve student mental health and well-being.
- It has made such a difference in high school, and I plan to continue relying on it in college.
Reports, academic papers, and evaluation
For example, Chapman University’s Public Safety Department contacts the Dean of Students upon receiving a student activism service call request so student affairs staff can respond without involving police. Instead of creating specialized response roles or teams internally, some institutions are contracting with external providers who send in-person responders to de-escalate crises and transport students to local hospitals (if needed). The University of Utah’s Chief Safety Officer recently created a community services division within the department of public safety. Below, we’ve outlined three differentiated response models for mental health service calls, along with their respective benefits and challenges.
Many students do not seek help due to barriers such as stigma or lack of awareness of services 17–19. According to an online survey of UK student counselling services, there was an increase in demand for support services over a three-year period in further education sectors . In a UK study, anxiety and depression were found to be higher at mid-course compared to one-month pre-entry into university .
Accessibility Information
There is a direct link from, of course, from our sports psychologist to our overall counseling center. The benefit that it brings, one, to the students, but also to the practitioners who are working with them, and that intimate relationship that they get to cultivate with those athletes. It really does take a public health approach to addressing student needs, because they’re all different. About 60, 65 percent of students participate in athletics at Dartmouth. It’s a toolbox or a tool kit of ways to manage daily stressors in life, failing a test, breaking up with a significant other, potentially loss of a family member—all of the things that they’re going to encounter, in addition to being in academics and being in college. In addition to that, I think we need to work with the rest of the student body from a preventative wellness approach, to make sure that they understand that they have access to wellness activities, to things that build resilience.
As the call for better campus services grows, we also need to push for more funding and stronger support systems to ensure students receive the help they need to overcome mental health challenges. Co-occurring disorders are notoriously complex to diagnose and treat; hence, on-campus mental health services are in a good position to observe and monitor students for successful intervention. Confidentiality is a critical aspect of mental health services on campus, and most colleges and universities take steps to protect students’ privacy. Students can sometimes find these services through a college’s counseling or mental health center, and they can enroll in individual or group therapy, workshops, and support groups. Universal interventions are aimed at students without any pre-existing mental health problems whereas indicated interventions are aimed at students who meet criteria for mild to moderate levels of mental health problems or have acknowledged an existing mental health problem such as depression or anxiety. Lattie et al. conducted a systematic review of evidence (rated as moderate methodological quality) on the effectiveness of digital mental health interventions on mental health outcomes in college students.
*OTHER SERVICES & SUPPORT*
Where necessary, your university’s mental health support team will also be able to refer you to external services. These services offer practical advice across a number of stress-filled topics, from financial concerns SUNY Mental Health Resources and accommodation issues, to academic support and mental health concerns. Universities sometimes list the details of external services and providers of student mental health support.