PUKASAMSOMBUT !

Alan Pukasamsombut

Prof. Batty

11:20 - 12:45

March 25, 2019

As They Should

A decline in mental health and anxiety seem to come hand in hand when some students

mention the realities of college life. With constant impending deadlines, students are faced with

the decision to either ignore their mental wellbeing to achieve a passing grade, or succumb to

their anxiety or depression and fail. It seems as if the spotlight shined by colleges upon student’s

declining mental health has dimmed while the light continues to burn bright for other academic

requirements. Colleges seem to care more about the letters and numbers associated with students

rather than the mental wellbeing of them. While all college campuses offer students in-school

psychological counseling, the focus of it is not as prominent when compared to college’s

academic counseling instead. The lack of accessibility of psychological counseling and the push

of mental health awareness is not as prominent as it should be, leaving students with more to be

desired for and continuing to suffer in silence instead of finding a safe haven within the schools

grasp. Through reformation and providing additional counseling to students, colleges can

provide students with aid in times of mental crisis and also build a stronger relationship with

students and the college to help maintain good mental health with students.

With a stigma already attached to mental health, seeking help can be a challenge within

itself for some. As a student myself, I can attest to some students having a negative connotation
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with mental health and associate anyone with a mental illness with weakness or being an oddity.

This can partially be blamed on the person’s upbringing or personal beliefs, but I believe another

factor of it is the lack of awareness that colleges spread towards mental health and illnesses.

Colleges simply do not push the true importance of mental health towards students, making it so

some students do not recognize the normality of it nor its significance. In an article published by

the UCLA Newsroom, author Jessica Wolf states that, “Students were less likely to admit to

suicidal thoughts or harming themselves if they attended school in high-stigma

environments.” (Wolf) Without college campuses making a stronger effort to validate the realism

of mental illness, some students may continue to have to same ignorant mindset towards the

issue. Instead of just plastering posters on walls regarding mental health, campuses can try to

resolve this issue by requiring professors to include information about mental health and how to

access on-campus therapy in their classroom syllabi. This information would not only help those

seeking out therapy, but also normalize it to help make it more of a topic of conversation.

While colleges do provide students with psychological counseling on campus, some

students find that actually being able to meet with the counselor can be a challenge within itself.

Due to prolonged wait times, students seeking psychological help can be left feeling defeated or

uncared for. In a 2017 study made by the Association for University and College Counseling

Center Directors, it shows that students typically faced a wait time of approximately seven

business days to meet with a psychological counselor at their school; while others had to wait

over two months in some cases. This can be very demotivating to anyone dealing with a decline

in mental health after just mustering up the energy to seek for help. Also shown in an article

posted on the Duke SciPol website, it showcases a petition created by students from varying
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campuses who demanded extended mental health services. “Students are turned away every day

from receiving the treatment they need, and multiple suicide attempts and deaths go virtually

ignored each semester,” the petition reads, calling for immediate action to help save the lives of

students rather than have them stagnant on a wait list. Although most college campuses provide

a select few amounts of free sessions with a campus therapist, the untimeliness of it may result in

students retrieving backing into their shell rather than waiting to vent their frustrations or

thoughts. Colleges can also improve upon this by curating a group of student volunteers to host a

mental health awareness group that can be held on alternating days to substitute therapy sessions

that may have extended wait times. Through this, students can find solace within other students

that are or have possibly dealt with something similar and create a strong bond between students

and staff without schools having to provide additional funding.

In addition to college’s providing students with support groups and making an effort to

help rid the stigma surrounded by mental health and illnesses, campuses can also have students

have a mandatory check up with a college psychological counselor at least one per school

semester. Evaluation of a students mental wellbeing would be obligatory, making it assured that

students will be assessed and treated for if needed. In an interview I conducted with my

classmate and acquaintance, Christopher Ascencio, he explained to me that he was not aware of

the seriousness of his anxiety until taking a survey that directed him to seek out psychological

help. Some students may not realize that severity of their emotions and may downplay the

seriousness of what they are experiencing. If college campuses made it mandatory to have a

private mental evaluation with a campus therapist, it could prevent students from self-harm or

suicide and assure that all students that they have a place to go in a time of need.
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The importance of mental health needs to be at the forefront of college’s worries. The

primary focus that the schools should have is that the students that walk their grounds are

mentally stable, not just doing well in classes. Through refining the school system’s teachings on

mental health and by spreading awareness, students suffering from mental illnesses can find

refuge within the school they attend. The mental health of students should be the primary focus

of college campuses. Colleges can help treat, destigmatize, and support the students with mental

health issues if they choose to; and as they should.

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Citations

Wolf, Jessica. “Study Shows Stigma around Mental Health on Campus Correlates with Students
Not Seeking Treatment.” UCLA Newsroom, 23 Jan. 2018, newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/
study-shows-stigma-around-mental-health-on-campus-correlates-with-students-not-
seeking-treatment.

LeViness, Peter, et al. “The Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors
Annual Survey.” Aucccd.org, 2017, www.aucccd.org/assets/2017%20aucccd%20survey-
public-apr17.pdf.

“A Dangerous Wait: Colleges Can't Meet Soaring Student Needs for Mental Health Care.”
SciPol.org, 6 Feb. 2017, scipol.duke.edu/content/dangerous-wait-colleges-
can%E2%80%99t-meet-soaring-student-needs-mental-health-care.

Ascencio, Christopher. Personal interview. 9 March. 2019.