The last few years have led to an impressive surge in the mental health industry. More and more people have become aware of the declining mental health situation in the United States, and as such, more people are taking a stand to help improve the mental health situation.
Unfortunately, this improved awareness has also led people to recognize areas in which mental health is struggling. Many people have been surprised to learn that one of the worst places for someone to struggle with a mental health disorder is in university.
It has become increasingly apparent that not a lot of universities put enough time or effort into managing the mental health of their students (even though these exact students are looking for help on campus). This is particularly true for many Ivy League schools, who should be dedicating significant funding to ensuring that their students are in optimal mental health. There are no shortage of options universities can offer their students to help better the current situation. One such example is to offer therapy options online, or to partner with any one of these companies. This would involve minimal costs for the university, while providing unlimited access to students who are likely on a budget.
That said, this article will discuss how students on many campuses - Ivy League and otherwise - are struggling with mental health disorders.
Colleges, Universities, and Mental Health
College and university is a time during which people experience an unprecedented level of stress and pressure. This leads many of these students to develop mental health problems. In fact, more than a third of first-year college students experience a serious mental health problem.
One might imagine that this would lead colleges to strengthen the resources available for students with mental illnesses. Unfortunately, this isn't always the case. In fact, some schools such as Yale are known to evict students who struggle with mental health illnesses.
Recent research has revealed that the more prestigious schools are generally tougher on their students in regards to mental health problems. In fact, of all the Ivy League schools, the highest score in an evaluation was Harvard, which only scored a D+.
It's not just Ivy League schools that struggle to meet the demands of their students though. While Ivy League schools may be quicker to make headlines - primarily because they possess the funding to meet these needs and yet choose not to - other schools may genuinely lack the required funding to provide quality mental health programs.
How This Affects Students and Schools
The students of these schools are often at an immediate loss. A school that is inadequately prepared to meet the mental health challenges of its students leaves them with very few options.
Try to overcome the problem on their own, which often takes a great deal of time, effort, and research. This time spent trying to overcome mental health problems will detract from their study time and impact their grades.
Try to pretend that they don't have a problem by repressing symptoms and behaviours. This inevitably leads to the problem getting worse.
Seek out help from the limited resources at the school, which may lead to them getting improper treatment.
It's not just the students that experience problems in regards to this, though. As more and more people are becoming aware of the negligent mental health care system in many schools, the reputations of these schools are starting to suffer.
The recent study performed on the Ivy League schools, for example, brought a great deal of undesirable attention to the schools. This may lead to potential students reconsidering their choices, and has led to some negative media coverage.
Conclusion
Many schools across the United States do not provide the proper resources for their students to get help with their mental health. This has negatively impacted the students' ability to perform, and has also influenced the reputations of these schools.
