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Young people in the United States are reporting higher levels of anxiety, depression, and general mental health concerns than ever before. But when a college student finds himself in trouble, who can help him? It is not a mental health provider, students said.
A recent survey of university students found that although many students have mental health concerns, less than half receive mental health support from their university.
The students say: According to the latest Healthy Minds survey, 78 per cent of students strongly agree, agree or somewhat agree that they currently need help with feelings of sadness, depression, anxiety, nervousness or mental health issues. I found out that there is.
A November survey conducted by Wiley found that 83% of students rely on family and friends to cope with their mental health, which is on par with the findings of the 2023 Thriving College Student Survey, which found that students It was found that 90% of people rely on friends for information about their mental health. She said 77% of parents ask questions about mental health.
More and more students are turning to social media and other online resources for mental health information. The College Student Thrive study found that 83 percent of students use the internet and 67 percent use social media. Wiley's research found that 24% used social media sites or blogs for support, and this was more common among students taking fully online courses (38%).
According to Wiley data, only 14 percent of students use university health services when they need help. Approximately half of Thriving College respondents said they use a college professor or counselor for mental health information, while 8% say they do so “always” or “often.” Masu.
Spring 2023 Student Voice Survey Inside higher education College Pulse found that 63% of students do not utilize any college mental health resources, and one-third utilize on-campus counseling or telephone counseling. Two-thirds of students strongly or somewhat agree that they would know where to seek help on campus if they or a friend were in a mental health crisis.
The Healthy Minds survey found that 19% of students say one of the reasons they don't receive services for their mental or emotional health is because they deal with their problems on their own or with support from friends and family. They reported that it was because they liked it. This was the same response rate as students who said they didn't have enough time (19%), while 14% said they didn't know where to go.
so what: Understanding student behaviors and preferences can help university leaders identify where to add resources and support.
- Invest in peer support. Students overwhelmingly trust their friends and view them as a more accessible resource. Universities can address this need by directing resources to peer support systems and training students to respond to mental health issues.
- Identify hybrid resources. As more students take courses or seek support online, universities must diversify their services to accommodate off-campus students. Telephone counseling and on-demand resources are one way to do that.
- Increase awareness of existing services. Increased visibility of resources already in place can help students take action to seek help in times of crisis. Promoting your resources on social media and creating awareness campaigns can help.
- Work with teachers. In another study, faculty and staff said it was their responsibility to discuss on-campus resources with students and manage students who were struggling. Working together across campus to provide a unified message about student mental health and where support is available will benefit all stakeholders.
- Introduce students to mental health professionals. One reason students don't use on-campus services is because they're unfamiliar with staff. By offering drop-in counseling sessions or sending counselors to different departments on campus, you can help build confidence when students need help.
- Ask for student feedback. Each campus actively interacts with learners to understand what is working well and what could be improved in order to best serve its unique student population. is needed.
Do you have any health tips that might help others promote student success? Please tell me about it.