The Kids are Not Alright: The Mental Health Crisis on College Campuses
Just this past year, I remember walking down the halls of a well-known college in San Diego with a couple of friends when we came across a large chalkboard mounted to the side of a building. At the top it read “Before I die I want to…” and there were empty spaces left on the board for students to fill in their respective goals. While reading the responses, which were standard for the most part, a response at the very bottom of the board caught our attention: “Kill myself. Before I die I want to kill myself.”
While that answer in itself is alarming, what proved to be most disturbing was our reaction. With no hesitation and little thinking, a couple of us said “same,” laughed at the irony of the statement, shrugged it off and kept walking. Almost immediately, I was overcome with this unnerving sense of awareness that brought with it the frightening realization that something was not right.
Why was that our initial reaction? Why did we agree so nonchalantly, as if a statement of self-deprecation and self-harm was normal? Perhaps it was, and still is. Perhaps the ‘new normal’ is something much deeper and much more harrowing than we had been aware of.
Statistics
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Leading Causes of Death Report published in 2016, the suicide rate among young adults, ages 15–24, has tripled since the 1950s and suicide is currently the 2nd leading cause of death among college students. In addition to those students that die by suicide, 8.0% of full-time college students have had suicidal thoughts or have seriously considered suicide, 2.4% have made a suicide plan, and 0.9% has made a suicide attempt.
In a 2016 survey of students by the American College Health Association, “52.7% of students surveyed reported feeling that things were hopeless and 39.1% reported feeling so depressed that it was difficult to function during the past 12 months.”
Viewing these statistics made it clear to me that there was a real problem here, making the use of the word “crisis” in this article not only intentional, but imperative in highlighting the weight of the current situation.
From my personal experience as a college student, trying to manage deadlines, keeping track of assignments, seeking internships and career opportunities while also trying to navigate and grow in this world as a young adult proves to be impossible without the occasional breakdown. However, this experience is not unique to me. Trying to hold it together seems to be synonymous with the college experience which begs to question, what are we asking of our young people? Is the mental health crisis a personal problem, or do our institutions provide the framework that nurtures our academic performance at the expense of our mental wellness?
College is unique in that it is essentially a hub of new interactions and experience. For many students, being in a new environment outside of the familiarity of home, combined with the ongoing strenuous nature of academic work, disheartening political climates and economic uncertainty can create an overwhelming amount of stress. While stress in small doses is normal and can be beneficial in pushing us to work harder and smarter, it is important for us to realize that too much of it can be detrimental to overall well-being.
Considering the complex and far-reaching nature of the crisis, it is critical that colleges develop a culture that supports the mental and emotional well-being of students. In a 2017 report conducted by the National Council on Disability entitled ‘Mental Health on College Campuses,’ it was found that students feel that better equipping staff and school officials with the tools and training to identify when a student is having a hard time coping, and subsequently guide them to resources available on campus would make a tremendous difference. Providing students with resources and incorporating various measures to relieve stress in the academic space while promoting open and honest conversations has the potential to significantly increase the number of students who seek and receive help. In taking these small but consequential steps, the boundaries created by the stigma surrounding mental illness can be knocked down.
In making the promotion and preservation of good mental health a paramount goal in our institutions, tackling the crisis with bold affirmation and recognition of its gravitas is critical. In these times of uncertainty, immese pressure and occasional despair, I believe that institutions have the responsibility and the incredible opportunity to impact the lives of their students by prioritizing their mental and emotional wellbeing, as well as their academic success. In doing so, we could have a chance at re-imagining the college experience and ultimately achieving peace of mind within and beyond the college halls.
