Will campus counseling centers be ready to handle an influx of student mental health needs and concerns as many schools plan for full in-person returns this fall?
As universities and colleges prepare to welcome students back to campus this fall, their counseling centers are already bracing themselves for the challenges to come. Facing a likely influx of students in crisis, campus mental health professionals will need new resources to support this vulnerable population. Telehealth, provided in the right way for the right patients, can be an important part of the student mental health solution.
Student mental health issues have long been common in higher education, and the pandemic has only exacerbated their vulnerability, as many struggled with feelings of fear, helplessness, grief, and resentment.
According to the CDC, one in four people aged 18-24 seriously contemplated suicide in June 2020, and a similar number increased their substance use; three-quarters faced at least one adverse mental health symptom. In recent research by the Center for Collegiate Mental Health (CCMH), students seeking services during the peak of the pandemic reported that it had negatively impacted their mental health, motivation or focus, loneliness and isolation, and academics.