This Thanksgiving, college students across the country temporarily take a break from classes to celebrate at home with family and friends. However, students struggling with suicidal thoughts or other serious mental health issues may be told not to return to campus.
Universities across the country have significantly eased restrictions due to COVID-19, but the pressures facing students today remain extremely high. The American Psychological Association calls this a “crisis” and estimates that over 60% of her college students are currently dealing with one or more mental health issues.
Congress provides little funding to understand the stresses and challenges facing students. Also, many universities do not provide the support students need to be healthy and resilient.
In 2019, students attending top performing schools across the country were added to the National Academy of Sciences and Engineering’s (NASEM) list of “at risk” groups. Why: The pressure to compete at the highest academic level has led to high statistics of behavioral and mental health problems. NASEM’s at-risk list included children with destitute, foster care, and incarcerated parents.
That was before the pandemic. Since then, our students have endured severe challenges such as social isolation and distance learning, which has hindered their social and academic development. College life may seem back to normal on the surface, but for many, the impact of COVID-19 is still very raw and very real.
Suicide is the second leading cause of death among college students nationwide, according to statistics released by the University of Michigan. About 1,100 suicides occur on college campuses each year. Nearly 40% of the college’s own students have “thought or considered” it. These numbers put increasing pressure and expectations on colleges and universities to address the mental health care needs of their students.
Schools know this is a problem. His sixth consecutive survey by the American Council on Education found that student mental health is a “pressing problem” since the pandemic began. Last year, more than 70% of his university presidents cited this as their top concern.
But some of the best colleges in the country seem to be failing students who need mental health services. A recent revelation by The Washington Post found a suicidal Yale student “under pressure to withdraw.” Also, a person wishing to be readmitted may apply again by certifying that she received adequate mental health care while on vacation at her own expense, as a condition of being permitted to return to campus, and her right to privacy. should be abandoned.
The problem is not limited to Yale University. Before the pandemic, the Ruderman Family Foundation found problems with mandatory leave policies for students suffering from mental illness at many Ivy League universities. All received a D+ or lower rating.
These policies betray students who seek care. Such policies prioritize legal protection over student well-being. Instead of expanding services and prioritizing mental health, some schools are exacerbating the problem by forcing students who come forward to stay away from the walls.
This year, Congress increased support for youth mental health, but only $6.5 million in higher education grants. To strengthen the strength of America’s young adult population, care-seeking behavior must be condemned rather than punished.Also, accessible and substantive programs to address mental health awareness and prevention. We need greater commitment from elected leaders to fund the
And such support must extend beyond college campuses. Young people around the world are enduring her COVID-19 and many need help, including college students. When For those for whom college is not an option.
Schools are lagging behind as students need more than ever for college mental health services. College presidents overwhelmingly agree that the biggest problem facing campuses is mental health. They, and Congress, need to step up and do more to be part of the solution.
Lyndon Haviland, DrPH, MPH, is a Distinguished Scholar at the CUNY School of Public Health and Health Policy.
