Last semester, I wrote an article encouraging the University to destigmatize mental health issues on Grounds. Though my article focused on increased mental health awareness during exam weeks, I implored the University to make mental health a priority and make students comfortable with acknowledging mental health issues. Last week, the organization Active Minds hosted a panel regarding mental health on college campuses. University professors and deans spoke about mental health resources on Grounds and the efforts to destigmatize mental health on Grounds. Panel discussions like these are a positive step towards helping college students with mental health issues and Active Minds should be commended for hosting a discussion on the topic. Additionally, the University should host panels and events like these on a more regular basis to continue destigmatizing mental health on college campuses.
This panel discussion marked a great step towards opening a dialogue on mental health on Grounds. The panel showed students that they could go to professors and deans for assistance on mental health issues. By including professors with different perspectives on mental health issues and resources, it offered students a wealth of feedback about the state of mental health education on Grounds. The professors involved in the panel could also serve as resources for students in the event of questions about mental health issues. Active Minds co-president Zoe Hemmer explained that professors want to help students, in the event of mental health questions. Having such an active resource in the classroom when it comes to mental health is a strength that should be well publicized around Grounds.
The University could only benefit from hosting panels and events on mental health more often, as they would further destigmatize the issue. Teaching Assistant Professor of Education Elisabeth Pleszkoch explained during the panel that, when she was in college, mental health issues were far more stigmatized but now people are more open to diagnosing mental health issues and treating them as much as possible. However, more college students are struggling now with mental illness than in the past. In 1994, only nine percent of students who sought help from college counseling centers were taking psychiatric medications but, by 2015, that figure had risen to 20 perecent. In their piece for Psychiatric Services, Doctors Nancy Downs, Tracy Alderman, Katharina Schnieber and Neal Swerdlow recommended that universities offer increased courses on mental health awareness for undergraduate and graduate students. They asserted that community education about mental health practices could go a long way in helping to destigmatize the topic.
Increased education through a variety of strategies, including courses on mental health awareness could have a major positive effect at the University. The piece in Psychiatric Services asserted that positive impact in destigmatizing mental illness comes from community engagement, so events related to mental health awareness like panel discussions, teach-ins and trainings could help more University students and faculty engage with the issue of mental health on Grounds. The University could have themed panels during times of high stress like exams and internship application season to encourage students to pay attention to their own mental health and that of their peers in high stress situations. These events could also serve as a great resource for students, given rising demands for mental health services on college campuses. According to STAT News, many colleges around the U.S. are struggling to meet the needs of students who request services like counseling to promote mental health care.
Student demand for mental health services is increasing around the nation and any new resources would be helpful to students in need. Panel discussions and other events could serve as an informal, accessible way for students to gain knowledge about the University’s various mental health resources. To make mental health a key concern around Grounds, the University needs to engage the student body and erase the stigma associated with mental illness — increased events about mental health awareness would be a great way to begin the change.
Carly Mulvihill is an Opinion columnist for The Cavalier Daily. She can be reached at c.mulvihill@cavalierdaily.com.
Read More
SULLIVAN: Ramp up physical accessibility on Grounds
By Scarlett Sullivan | YesterdayThe University must take responsibility for the inaccessibility of Grounds and work to promote accessibility for all students despite misguided laws.
EDITORIAL: Scapegoating students will not stop hazing
By Editorial Board | 4 days agoInstead of retroactively responding to extreme hazing allegations, we, and especially the University, must begin asking more probing questions about the role of fraternal organizations on Grounds.
EDITORIAL: Celebrating and reflecting on The Cavalier Daily’s independence
By Editorial Board | April 18, 2024Our independence grants us the ability to ask the hard questions and to say what University representatives cannot.
