Each year more and more students enter college with mentally illnesses, in the pass students would have been seen as too mentally ill and we’re not able to attend college. Some students realize they have a mental illness and treat their illnesses; other students deny their illness and continue to suffer. The most common problems student’s experiences stem from depression, anxiety, substance abuse, eating disorder, sleep disorders, and difficulties in relationships, which all tend to be treatable, if the student seeks help. Times have changed for students compared to students a decade ago; students arrive at college feeling more pressure. Students come to college worrying about leaving their low-income family, rising tuition, their identity, the war in Iraq and terrorism, their culture, possible their illness and many more. Students did not arrive on campus thinking about nothing more than their education.
All student affairs practitioners need to beware of mental health and should explore the campus policies on mental health. The practitioners need to be familiar on how to suspect mental illness and how to refer a student to the correct office in order for the student to receive help. It may be tricky to determine if a student has a mental illness or just having a difficult time in adolescences. The best advice to give all students is a reminder of the location of the campus counseling center and their services. If suspected a student is going to commit suicide, contact the campus police right away. It is better being wrong, then not contacting the proper office and later feeling regards.
With mentally illness a current issue in higher education then why are higher education professionals not trained on the topic? I use to work with adults who have brain injuries and I was required to be trained in Mental Health First Aid. I found this class extremely helpful in order to identify individuals who suffer from a mental illness and how to talk to the individuals. I would have never known this information if I was not trained. I think that every person dealing with students should have to undergo this two day, 16 hour class in order to fully help and recognize the students who suffer from mental illnesses. My training has allowed me to ask certain questions to students if they treat suicide (Do you have a plan? What is your plan?). Yes, someone can refer a student/person if they treat suicide, but many times the student/person who is treating suicide is telling that person because they want their help, not a stranger.
Glenn, David. (2005).Psychology Meeting Tackles Student Drinking, Mental Health.
http://chronicle.com/article/Psychology-Meeting-Tackles-/16542/
Kadison, Richard. (2004). The Mental-Health Crisis: What Colleges Must Do.
http://chronicle.com/article/The-Mental-Health-Crisis-W/1712/
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I agree that not enough training is provided for student affairs professionals in the area of mental illness. A two-day training might take it out of the realm of possibility in terms of finances. There are, however, quick and easy procedures that can be taught in an hour or two that at least give us tools to recognize when a student has a problem and how to deal with it. Naomi focused on suicide prevention which is of course good but there are myriad other ways mental illness impacts a student's life: anxiety, social phobias, addictions, emotional instability to mention a few. So many students cover up mental illness with drinking, sexualized behaviors, and addictions (i.e., smoking, gambling) that seem somewhat normal in college. Having more eyes trained to identify warning signs would only help students while in college and after.
ReplyDeleteLaura brings up a great point when she points out that these behaviors emulate a lot of what people think about when envisioning social life in college. These notions can help camouflage behavior that may not be "normal" college behavior. Instead they may be coping mechanisms, which are too heavily relied upon by a depressed student. I also agree this type of training needs to be a higher priority and needs to be an integral piece in student affairs professionals' professional development. Another caveat which makes this issue even more serious is mental illness coupled with the increasing pressure from some students to carry concealed weapons on campus. It seems there is certain irony apparent when some students insist on carrying a concealed weapon to class in an effort to protect themselves from "crazy" students; however it is "crazy" to think that adding more guns to a violent situation can help resolve it.
ReplyDeleteHere is a link to a recent article about the number of suicides at Cornell...an institution that has been referred to as a 'suicide school', a term that makes more sense after reading the article. Make sure you read to comments section, as the writers illustrate some of the many ways to dissect the issue and numbers.
ReplyDeleteMatt
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2010/03/16/cornell
Chris--take a look at the following. Half-way down the page is an update about a school that tried to ban empty holsters on campus. There are a few comments at the bottom worth reading, especially about the lawyers taking empty holsters to court!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.insidehighered.com/news/2010/03/16/qt#222612
I had a student come to be the other day providing me information on a friends absence. It was because of a mental health issue. I was assured that the student was getting counseling and assistance. Apparently I had made a connection with both students. We will see if the student comes back after spring break. As an instructor I will do all I can to support the student. As pointed out, faculty receives no formal training in these issues. So the question becomes how can I support the student as a faculty and as a person.
ReplyDeleteMental health issues in higher education mirror the issue in society as a whole. Because of budget issues, the state is looking at reducing resources for mental health assistance. This may result in more mental issues presenting themselves in the higher education environment.
After reading the Cornell article and that school being know as the suicide school, I did a little bit more searching for information of college suicide and found that a majority of the time due to media sensationalism and other mental and social factors of the suicide, it then makes others in that area commit suicide. This phenomena is called contagion or suicide clusters. What higher education administrators need to do is protect the students through educational and preventative services like the counciling center or a suicide prevention center. I dont know if sucide information is implemented in freshamn orientation but perhaps it is time we take a look.
ReplyDeleteAs I was watching the health care debate play out this past Sunday on CNN I noticed a scrawl at the bottom that said the number of recent suicides at Cornell had reached six. This hits me on a personal level--when I was in high school my best friend's brother went to Cornell where his paranoid schizophrenia bloomed without notice, diagnosis, or treatment. He waited until after graduation to commit suicide.
ReplyDeleteI did a little digging and found that until now Cornell has had a fairly normal rate of suicide when compared to other colleges, but the dramatic way students commit the act (jumping off local bridges into the gorge) captures attention. This suicide cluster, however, has finally warranted action on the part of Cornell administration: nets are being placed underneath bridges and a mandatory mental health event is part of New Student Orientation. The nets are a deterrent and hopefully the mental health event will become a model for all other colleges to follow.
http://cornellsun.com/section/news/content/2010/03/18/student-assembly-focuses-response-suicides
The mental health of higher ed students has become a topic of interest for me. The foremost reason for this is the lack of resources on community college campuses. My experience indicates that mental health issues and suicides are "swept under the carpet" and never spoken of again. What an unrealistic attitude! Isn't this at odds with a holestic student services point of view?
ReplyDeleteI am not ashamed to admit that I was diagnosed with clinical depression caused by anxiety about 15 years ago and have been on meds since then. The first 30 years of my life would have been much more enjoyable had I gone for help earlier. My undergrad years were filled with anxiety and stress. Having this background has increased my awareness of mental health issues and the need for them on every college campus.