Treating the Untreatable? Societal Stimulants Affecting Health.

**IMPORTANT: This article contains mentions of mental health, depression, and suicide. If you feel uncomfortable with these topics, please refrain from reading.

The COVID-19 pandemic might be over, but another even larger and potentially more worrisome epidemic is beginning to take hold. As of May 2, 2023, roughly 687 million people around the world had been infected with COVID-19. (1) The peak of the COVID pandemic has passed and COVID cases globally have decreased drastically. However, in 2019 alone, 280 million people (including 23 million children and adolescents) were living with depression. (2) This mental health pandemic is only growing as more and more individuals, particularly young adults and college-age students, are reporting depression and anxiety symptoms. Furthermore, while data can reveal to us the growing number of individuals who are diagnosed with mental illness, the real number of affected individuals is far greater as most affected by mental illness go undiagnosed, yet still suffer.

In this article, I pose the following two questions. What are US colleges and universities doing to curb the spread of the mental health epidemic? Have these methods thus far been successful and what more can and should be done to curb this epidemic?

In a 2019 study including 133 college campuses and a total of over 90,000 students, 44% of the surveyed students said they experienced depression symptoms, 37% said they experienced anxiety or anxiety symptoms, and 15% said they were considering suicide. (3)

Considering this data and the clearly public nature of this epidemic (in that journalists are quick to report about the rising number of suicide cases and the growing discontent with institutions’ responses to the issue), it is understandable that colleges would make student satisfaction a priority.

In fact, universities throughout the US have implemented various strategies to combat this mental health epidemic, four of which I describe below: (4)

• Some universities provide classes and resources that discuss topics such as resilience, mindfulness, and yoga for faculty and staff. (University of Wisconsin, Florida State University, Stanford University)

• Some universities provide free screenings for students and staff to keep track of their physical and mental health. (Drexel University, UCLA)

• Other universities provide students with orientations about sensitive topics such as alcohol and drugs while training students to recognize symptoms and access resources. Northwestern University researchers have identified student testimonials as a more effective means of reducing the stigma involved in seeking mental health treatment as compared to expert speakers.

• Organizations such as Active Minds (mental health advocacy) and platforms including Kognito create networks of peer support on hundreds of college campuses throughout the US.

It is very common for institutions to increase students’ access to information, showing statistics about the number of adolescents affected by mental illness. Yet, many of those suffering don’t want to believe they are truly ill, and thus information simply being present does not reduce the stigma that prevents people from receiving care. Furthermore, many affected individuals simply do not know who to contact in the case of an emergency, and providing a clear pathway to receive help may enable more affected students to seek care. In fact, the way in which we express illness symptoms and seek help depends upon a variety of factors including culture, upbringing, observed religion, gender, and personal affiliations.

Yes, it is important for institutions to implement universal policies to deal with the issue, and these methods have been successful to some extent. But a universal band-aid will not completely eliminate the issue. Thus, the most appropriate response will target this epidemic on multiple fronts, providing counseling, peer support, and additional resources. Furthermore, this university response will train counselors, therapists, and psychologists to recognize the differences between affected students, realizing that no person will show mental illness in the same way.

Bringing it all together, universities are moving in the right direction in their response to the mental health epidemic. Universities must first recognize the issue and then work with students to build an effective solution. The first part of this process is having institutions recognize mental illness as an illness similar to allergies and influenza. UNC Chapel Hill’s recent addition of wellness days (long weekends built into the academic calendar for students to take a break from work) marks significant progress in the institution’s attempt to improve student life. (5) To combat this epidemic, universities must also improve social support networks by hiring counselors or trained and experienced faculty whose sole purpose is to help students grapple with mental illness. Universities must also reduce the stigma of receiving help, ensuring that faculty and staff can recognize the signs of mental illness and react appropriately.

In this way, universities can support students while curbing the spread of the mental health epidemic. By tackling this issue proactively and opening new conversations between university administrators and students, we can work to create an environment where students achieve success while bonds of trust and support are created between the institution and the individual.