Key points:
- Leaders increasingly recognize the need for mental health resources on campus
- Online students are asking for more mental health support
- Student loneliness has strong links to mental health distress
- For more news on mental health, visit eCN’s Student Success & Well-Being hub
As campuses continue to prioritize mental health awareness and programs for students and faculty, institutions are turning to innovative outreach, including telehealth, to ensure students get the support they need.
The Alabama Community College System (ACCS) is partnering with mental health and wellness provider Uwill to dramatically extend mental health resources for students, faculty, staff, and administration across its 24 community and technical colleges.
The initiative will enhance mental health support system-wide by providing immediate access to licensed mental health counselors and connecting individuals in crisis with therapists trained in trauma.
“Our decision to support our hardworking students, faculty, staff, and administrators with a unified platform for mental health resources reflects our focus on meeting the wide-ranging needs that come with balancing the complex commitments to education, work, family, and the community,” said Jimmy H. Baker, chancellor of the Alabama Community College System. “Our goal is to ensure that every member of our community college system has access to free, accessible mental health support to thrive in their endeavors.”
Western Wyoming Community College, a public community college that serves nearly 3,000 students across a rural and remote five-county region of the state, has also partnered with Uwill. The campus-wide teletherapy initiative will help support Western’s diverse student population of part-time, working, and adult students, with 67 percent of Wyoming community college students being part-time students, 38 percent seeking short-term certificates, and 42 percent being ages 25 to 64. Rural students also face additional barriers to accessing and completing college, such as a lack of access to transportation, high-speed broadband, or college programs within their community.
Recent survey data shows that 90 percent of adults believe the country is facing a mental health crisis. Meanwhile, 42 percent of college students have expressed the need for help with mental health difficulties in the last year, but more than 60 percent have never received counseling or therapy. According to data compiled by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), approximately 41 percent of adults in Alabama sought medical treatment for mental health issues between 2017 and 2019.
To help close this gap, the statewide community college mental health initiative will provide robust mental health support at all 24 of its colleges. Students, faculty, and staff will be able to access Uwill’s platform, which offers an immediate appointment with a licensed counselor based on individual needs and preferences, all modalities of teletherapy, a direct crisis connection, realtime data, and wellness events. The initiative is reflective of the state of Alabama’s commitment to raising awareness of mental health issues and providing treatment and support services to those in need. In 2023, Governor Kay Ivey expanded the state’s existing mental health capacities through funding for six mental health crisis centers across the state.
The need for mental health supports extends nationwide. An alarming two-thirds of college students report feeling lonely, and most students are concerned about their friends’ mental health, according to another recent survey. The data sheds light on the close relationship between loneliness and mental health, underscoring the profound impact of loneliness on psychological distress among students.
The survey of approximately 1,100 U.S. college and university students found that nearly two-thirds of college students report they feel lonely, the majority (51.7 percent) of college students are concerned about their friends’ mental health, and three in 10 (28.8 percent) college students report severe psychological distress.
Eighty-three percent of the institutions have increased student mental health support services in response to the pandemic, according to a survey from HelioCampus, which provides institutional performance management tools and services.
That survey notes that 97 percent of respondents agree mental health is a hot topic on their campus, and 74 percent have explored using outside counseling services or platforms to supplement on-campus mental health services. Ninety-one percent of institutions increased student mental health support services before COVID-19.
- Leveraging AI for institutional improvement, continuous learning - November 15, 2024
- The EDUCAUSE Top 10: Rebuilding trust in higher ed - November 14, 2024
- AI skills could eclipse college degrees - November 12, 2024