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RUSSO: Confront the misconceptions

The best way to eliminate the stigma surrounding mental illnesses is through student education and empowerment

I don’t remember many particulars from the college tours I went on during the summer before my senior year of high school — after the first few they blended into a massive hodgepodge in my mind. However, the one thing that remains an active part of my memory is the question my mom would ask at the end of every tour: “Can you tell us a little about mental health services on campus?”

I would cringe as I felt the gaze of everyone in the group, fearing they thought I had a mental illness myself, or rather that something was “wrong” with me. My mom had the question at the forefront of her mind because of the prevalence of mental health issues in her family. However, the question is an important one for all prospective students; 75 percent of lifetime mental illnesses manifest by the age of 24.

My embarrassed reaction mirrors a larger issue: stigmas surrounding mental illness on college campuses and in American society. After all, I would never have been embarrassed if my mom had asked where I should go if I had a physical injury. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, stigma is the number one reason that college students do not seek help when faced with a possible psychiatric disorder. We fear being seen as “weak” by our peers or even admitting to ourselves that we may need help.

Psychiatric disorders are isolating by nature. Having resources such as CAPS available to students is not adequate unless they are accompanied by a supportive community that rejects stigmas and stereotypes about mental illness. Unwillingness or inability to seek help is not an issue that is easy resolved. American culture and the competitive nature of higher education promotes individualism and perseverance through adversity. However, psychological issues should not be grouped with other obstacles that students may face, such as academic or professional challenges. Such categorization undermines the paralyzing effect mental illness has and contributes to the misconception that it can be overcome individually.

There are students in our community who have already dedicated themselves to the promotion of mental wellness on Grounds and beyond. Peer health educators promote awareness around Grounds about mental wellness (and other health issues). Active Minds — the University chapter of a national organization — works to keep mental health issues in conversation on Grounds and empowers students to address their own mental wellness. Student Council’s Safety and Wellness Committee acts as a liaison between these groups and carries out its own efforts to promote student health.

In addition to the formal groups that work to ensure student health on Grounds, there are activists within our community who are addressing the mental health crisis in the United States. The student group Legislators of Tomorrow drafted a bill — House Bill 206 — which was recently passed in Virginia and will take effect July 2015. The bill requires public universities in Virginia to “create and feature on [their] website a page with information dedicated solely to the mental health resources available to students.”

As students at the University, we have the power to contribute to the de-stigmatization of mental illness through self-education. My sister is a neuroscience student at another university. She has given me significant insight into the biological influences and genetic links that exist with mental illness. Fear of the unknown heavily contributes to stigmas. Education is an empowering method of breaking down preconceptions of mental illness that have been fortified by society over time. Scientific evidence destroys the idea that mental illness is “weakness.”

Additionally, the influence of vernacular conversation on the values of a community is often underestimated. Actively changing the way we talk about mental illness will reinforce a supportive atmosphere. For example, if you have a friend who is suffering from a mental affliction, you may feel uncomfortable confronting them or offering help. However, in reality having the support of one’s friends and peers can make a world of difference to the suffering individual, who may not know how to ask for help. Internalization can worsen mental suffering.

The University community prides itself on being healthy, motivated, and vibrant. However, statistically, one in four of our peers is suffering from a psychiatric disorder. Within such a large and impressive community, it may be difficult for students to realize they are not alone in their struggle. Beneath the façade of health and vivacity, students within our community need the support of their peers as well as the University at large in confronting the problems they are facing. This support can only come from a community of individuals who have taken efforts to confront their own misconceptions about mental illness.

Mary Russo is an Opinion Columnist for The Cavalier Daily. She can be reached at m.russo@cavalierdaily.com.

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