Running head: Mental Health Issues in Higher Education 1

Transcription

1 Running head: Mental Health Issues in Higher Education 1 Mental Health Issues in Higher Education Mary Nguyen University of Southern California

2 Mental Health Issues in Higher Education 2 Mental Health Issues in Higher Education Introduction to Mental Health Issues in Higher Education One of the challenges that college counseling centers currently face is the increase in student mental health concerns over the past decade (Kadison, 2004). Ninety-six percent of college students have been reported to want access to campus counseling services for problems such as eating disorders, drug and alcohol dependency, coping with physical illnesses, suicide ideation, or serious mental illnesses (Trela, 2008). Many of these students coming to college have already been diagnosed with severe psychological problems or are on psychiatric medication (Trela, 2008). This has college counseling centers concerned about how to accommodate the needs of this large population. The responses of the institution to this situation are often limited by budget restraints, which prevent them from hiring enough counselors to meet the preferred counselor to student ratio of 1:1000; the average counselor to student ratio on most campuses is 1:2000 (Quinn, Wilson, MacIntyre, & Tinklin, 2009). With a limited budget staff, counseling centers must discover how to accommodate the increased demand for students with mental health needs. This critical issue will be looked at through key research, and will look at depression, anxiety, and alcohol dependency as some prevalent focuses in the mental health needs of college students. According to the 2006 National Survey of Counseling Center Directors, fifty-eight percent of campuses offer counseling services to students (Trela, 2008). However, the weekly consultation hours of these counseling centers are limited to 1.7 hours per student (Trela, 2008). The inability of counseling centers to offer services such as additional consultation hours is troubling. If students with mental health needs do not receive the assistance they need, they can affect the campus community (Trela, 2008). One example of this affect can be seen from the massacre at

3 Mental Health Issues in Higher Education 3 Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, where the student who was diagnosed with depression and anxiety, received minimal counseling services, killed 32 people, and wounded 25 others. Instances such as this one can be avoided if students with mental health needs overcome the barriers that prevent them from seeking treatment and counseling (Trela, 2008). Depression Depression is an important mental health concern to take note of because it plays a significant role in college student functioning (Soet, & Sevig, 2006). It is also the 4 th ranked mental health problem in the United States (Soet, & Sevig, 2006). According to the Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV, depression is the change from previous life functioning, where the individual has at least five symptoms of a depressed mood, loss in interest or pleasure, weight loss, insomnia, fatigue, psychomotor agitation, the feeling of worthlessness, diminished ability to think and concentrate, and recurrent thoughts of death. Depression is also marked by significant distress and impairment in functioning (DSM IV, 2000). Out of the incoming class of students that enter college, 14.9 percent are diagnosed with depression. Like all other students with mental health needs, it is important to treat students with depression in order to give them good mental health and support. Anxiety Anxiety is ranked sixth out of the mental health problem that is often seen at college counseling centers (Kahn, & Garrison, 2009). About 7.7 percent of college students are diagnosed with anxiety (Soet, & Sevig, 2006). It is also seen as a significant predictor of failure for college students with mental health needs because of its nature (Soet, & Sevig, 2006). According to the Diagnostic Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders, anxiety is characterized as

4 Mental Health Issues in Higher Education 4 excessive worrying that causes significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other areas of living functions. It is difficult for these students to control their worries (DSM IV). If they were to go to the college counseling center, these students with anxiety could undergo brief therapy and be given off-campus resources that would be able to help them receive the necessary help they need and do well in school (Kitzrow, 2003). Alcohol Dependency A third mental health concern that has seen a 45 percent increase in student cases within the last five years is alcohol dependency (Kitzrow, 2003). Many students start drinking in college as a way to socialize or conform to what they have heard is the norm for college students (Rocha, Martin, & Serrao, 2008). However, once external pressures, such as social, academic, and family pressures, come into play and begin to overwhelm them in their new college environment, drinking turns into a coping mechanism for 22 percent of students (Rocha et al., 2008). In most of these cases, students drink alcohol in order to forget what is going on around them, and to relieve themselves of their worries and depression (Rocha et al., 2008). Students that received counseling for alcohol dependency had a 14 percent higher rate in student retention than students that did not receive counseling (Kitzrow, 2003). Ninety percent of students said that counseling services helped them to reduce stress and stay in school (Kitzrow, 2003). Other Issues of Implication Many college students are reluctant to ask for counseling services because of the stigma that is associated with having mental health needs (Quinn et al., 2009). In order to overcome this reluctance, three basic steps that counseling centers can follow are: having cross-departmental collaboration and communication with Disability Service Centers and academic departments,

5 Mental Health Issues in Higher Education 5 and education awareness and peer mentoring (Quinn et al., 2009). The college counseling center would benefit from cross-departmental collaborations and communication with departments such as Disability Services and academic departments because it would allow them to educate the faculty and staff, and allow them to extend their resources beyond their own office (Quinn et al., 2009). An additional benefit is being able to work closely with the departments to help students who have mental health needs and are having trouble academically (Quinn et al., 2009). In addition, counseling centers can increase awareness about mental health needs and assist in changing the negative connotations associated with it (Quinn et al., 2009). Peer mentoring can also encourage students with mental health needs to engage in emotional self-disclosure, which may help them achieve greater well-being and become more receptive towards receiving counseling (Kahn, & Garrison, 2009). Conclusion In conclusion, an increasing number of students are entering college with mental health needs. This rise in mental health cases has gained notice from student affairs professionals as well as college counseling centers because there is a disproportionate distribution between the two. The college counseling center does not have enough resources or staff to be able to proactively assist students with their mental health needs. After looking at the characteristics of common mental health problems in students such as depression, anxiety, and alcohol abuse, it can be seen how college counseling centers can meet these needs with helpful accommodations. One accommodation that was discussed included cross-departmental communication and collaboration with regards to student mental health needs and education. The second is education awareness and peer mentoring. Both of these suggested accommodations can assist students by giving them a larger, more stable, and consistent support network where they will be

6 Mental Health Issues in Higher Education 6 able to receive counseling and mentoring services from trained staff or faculty, and receive understanding and awareness from students so that they will be able to pursue the help they need without the need to feel stigmatized.

7 Mental Health Issues in Higher Education 7 References American College Health Association: National College Health Assessment. (2010). Spring 2010 reference group executive summary [Data file]. Retrieved from American Psychological Association. (2000). Diagnostic Statistic Manual of Mental Disorders (4 th ed.). Washington, D.C: American Psychological Association. Kadison, R. (2004, December 10). The mental-health crisis: what colleges must do. The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retreived from Health-Crisis-What/1712/ Kahn, J., & Garrison, A. (2009). Emotional self-disclosure and emotional avoidance: relations with symptoms of depression and anxiety. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 56(4) doi: /a Kitzrow, M. (2003). The mental health needs of today s college students: challenges and recommendations. NASPA Journal, 41(1) Quinn, N., Wilson, A., MacIntyre, G., & Tinklin, T. (2009). People look at you differently: students experience of mental health support within higher education. British Journal of Guidance & Counseling, 37(4) Rocha, T., Martin, J., & Serrao, H. (2008). Drinking motives and college students: further examination of a four-factor model. Journal of Counseling Psychology 55(2) doi: / Soet, J., & Sevig, T. (2006). Mental health issues facing a diverse sample of college students: results from the college student mental health survey. NASPA Journal, 43(3)

8 Mental Health Issues in Higher Education 8 Trela, K. (2008). Facing mental health crises on campus. About Campus, 12(6) doi: /abc.237