Transcript: Back to Campus

WELCOME

Hello and welcome to the August edition of "Chiming In," the podcast from Mental Health America - the country's leading nonprofit dedicated to helping all people live mentally healthier lives.  "Chiming In" delivers regular features on mental health issues, including information for improving personal wellness, reports on research and policy trends and profiles of communities and everyday Americans living with mental health problems.

With college students heading back to campus this fall, we'll spend today's program looking at some of the unique issues they face.  You'll hear tips for back-to-school stress relief and from a young woman whose experience with mental illness led her to create a mental health organization at her own school.

Also on the program, we'll examine the recommendations of a report to the President on issues raised by the Virginia Tech shootings and offer suggestions for college students to help prevent future tragedies and promote safe learning environments.  But first, here's an introduction from Mental Health America President and CEO, Dr. David Shern.

PRESIDENT'S PERSPECTIVE

Hi, I'm Dr. David Shern, President and CEO of Mental Health America.  Thanks for tuning in to the August edition of "Chiming In." 

This month we turn our attention to mental health issues in the higher education system. For many young people, college is the first taste of independence - an opportunity to make new friends and have fresh experiences.  But colleges are also notoriously high-stress environments.  The demands of academics, living with others in cramped quarters and not practicing good health habits, can all take their toll.        

Just last year, in a survey by the American College Health Association, students rated stress as the number one impediment to their academic performance.  And depression ranked number five.  In fact, 42% - over a third of students - reported feeling so depressed they found it difficult to function. 

These figures demonstrate that mental health is a vital issue on college campuses.  Yet awareness is not what it should be.  Building healthy school environments requires increasing knowledge among students and school administrators about the seriousness of mental health problems and how to recognize them.  Its also critical that this knowledge translate to health behaviors such as how to get help for a mental health problem or importantly, how to help a friend.     

In addition, schools struggle to handle students in need of mental health treatment.  For example, this was the case in 2004 when George Washington University dismissed former student, Jordan Nott, for seeking emergency mental health care for his depression.  Stories like these illustrate that - rather than punishing students - universities must serve support students by connecting them with the resources or treatment they may need.   

On today's program, we explore some of these vital issues and provide tips and resources for improving mental health on college campuses.  Thanks for listening and, as always, you can find more information by visiting http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/.      

AVOIDING AND MANAGING SCHOOL STRESS

Across the country, college students are headed back to campus in anticipation of friends, school events and extracurricular activities.  Though it's often regarded as "the best time of your life," college can also be one of the most challenging.  If unprepared, students can easily become overwhelmed.  Here are some tips to help you avoid and better manage stress this school year:

1) Plan carefully. Whether you only have a few hours of class a day, or are juggling a job or athletics, it can be hard to balance schoolwork with other activities, so buy a day planner and get organized.

2) Get to sleep. Staying up late to finish that paper seems like a great idea at the time, but when the alarm goes off, sleep deprivation takes its toll. Avoid waiting till the last-minute to cram for a test or pull an all-nighter. Do a little work each day and plan for sleep.

3) Watch your drinking. It may be tempting to use alcohol to relieve your stress, but remember that it's a temporary fix. In the end, binge drinking will increase your stress rather than decrease it. In fact, more than 25 percent of college students report academic problems linked to alcohol use. If you choose to drink, set limits for yourself.

4) Get involved. Attend school activities or join extracurricular student groups. Not only will you make new friends and spend time doing something fun, but it will help alleviate stress by giving you something else to think about.

5) Communicate with roommates. When living with others, small things can grow into friendship-breakers. Avoid anger and resentment by talking to your roommates, setting some rules and sticking to them. If you're frustrated, talk it out. That way, when school seems overwhelming, coming home won't add to your stress.

6) Watch your spending. Keep track of how much you spend on certain activities each month so you know where your money is going. And be wary of credit cards. The average undergraduate has $2,200 in credit card debt, so avoid the temptation now.

7) Don't be afraid to ask for help. It's hard to admit you might be struggling, but you aren't the only one. Over 30 percent of freshmen report feeling stressed and "frequently overwhelmed" by everything they have to do. If it gets to that point, it may be time to reach out to someone who can give professional guidance.

And finally, if at any point you or a friend thinks about hurting yourself, call 1-800-273-TALK for 24/7 crisis help.   

Have a terrific school year and thanks for listening to "Chiming In."  For Mental Health America, this is Eileen Sexton. 

MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCACY ON CAMPUS

Stacy Hollingsworth knows the importance of mental health on college campuses.  Originally from Old Bridge, New Jersey, she has lived with depression for more than ten years.  Now 23 and completing her last year at Rutgers University, Stacy has fought not only for her own recovery, but for the wellbeing of her peers.  In 2006, she founded a student-run organization, NAMI Rutgers, a college chapter of the National Alliance for Mental Illness.  She developed the idea during a two-year medical leave she took to deal with her depression.

Stacy Hollingsworth: I wanted to use that time that I had, that second chance at life, to try and give back to other people, and to take my experiences that were really excruciatingly terrible and try to put a positive twist on things.

So far, Stacy has been extraordinarily successful at getting students, faculty, staff and even national media outlets like the New York Times and MTV to listen up and take action.

Not all students are as lucky as her peers at Rutgers.  While most universities have campus counseling centers, too few have strong, student-led advocacy groups.  According to Alison Malmon, founder and executive director of Active Minds, a national student organization with chapters at 70 colleges and universities, campus mental health programs lack two key ingredients: peer education and student involvement.

Malmon believes resources that seem too clinical can sometimes repel students.  Outreach is much more effective, she says, when students themselves are involved. 

Alison Malmon: Student advocates are really the best ones to know what's real, what's going to work, when's the best time to do this kind of outreach, what's the best way to reach their peers.

Many mental health conditions first appear at high school and college age, so promoting awareness and acceptance on college campuses is critical.  Discussion of mental health should not be confined to college counseling centers.  By joining together with their peers and staff, students can speak out about mental health in ways that are fun, engaging and that aren't intimidating.

Organizations like NAMI Rutgers and Active Minds get word out through information sessions, movies, awareness weeks and other events.  But starting a formal organization isn't required to support campus mental health.  Students may simply want to visit their campus counseling centers, help publicize a screening day, volunteer to conduct outreach or ask how they can help. 

Alison Malmon: Students have a lot of energy, they have their stories to tell.  They don't necessarily feel the same stigma the older generations feel and they want to tell their stories.  And it can be a very healing process to be part of this type of advocacy work.

For information on how to increase awareness on your own campus, visit http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/ or http://www.activeminds.org/.  Thanks to Stacy Hollingsworth and Alison Malmon for "Chiming In" with us today.  For Mental Health America, I'm Megan Sparks.

PREVENTING TRAGEDY AND PROMOTING SAFE LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

Two months after the shootings at Virginia Tech in April, the heads of the Departments of Health and Human Services, Education and Justice issued a report to the President offering recommendations for federal and state governments to address issues raised by the tragedy. 

Mental Health America commends the efforts of these agencies, which include recommendations for law enforcement and information sharing among other measures.  Yet many mental health groups argue that the report entirely misses the underlying problem highlighted by the shootings.  Our nation's mental health system is drastically under-funded and fails on nearly every level to provide effective community-based services to Americans living with mental health conditions.

According to Julio Abreu, Senior Director of Legislative Affairs for Mental Health America, our nation has the ability to successfully treat people with even the most severe mental health conditions, yet the federal government has failed to harness that science and invest in mental health.  

Julio Abreu: The proposed budget for mental health services for the upcoming fiscal year was lower than it was 5 years ago.  And that should be unacceptable for anyone who has read the science that we are making tremendous strides - we have treatments that work and in spite of that science, we continue to divest in community mental health services.

One first step would be to invest in linking people in a mental health crisis, such as those who show up in emergency rooms or come into contact with law enforcement, with intensive, coordinated community-based mental health treatment.  Tragically, this report steers clear of any funding recommendations.

One of its major recommendations is that Congress fund a costly gun control measure which would bar people who have received court-ordered mental health treatment from purchasing firearms.  Considering that annual federal funding for the mental health services block grant to states is only $430 million, it could make a huge different if Congress instead doubled that investment to close the gaping holes in our system.   

So how can students and universities prevent future tragedies and promote safe learning environments?  On campus, the first step is for school officials to engage local mental health professionals, to begin linking students with appropriate services in their communities.  Nationally, students and school officials must deliver a clear message to the federal government - that funding for early-intervention and suicide prevention programs on campuses is desperately needed. 

Julio Abreu: Schools should be knocking on the administration's door, should be knocking on the Secretary of Health, should be knocking on the door of the Attorney General - that to improve the school environment and make it conducive to learning, that they address the mental health needs of their students.   

To learn more about this topic, visit http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/.  Thanks to Julio Abreu for "Chiming In" with us today.  For Mental Health America, I'm Jason Halal. 

CLOSING

That's it for our August edition of "Chiming In."  Stay tuned for future programs by visiting http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/, where you can listen to clips or entire podcasts and subscribe to receive new shows as soon as they're available.

I'm Holly Seltzer and this is "Chiming In" from Mental Health America.  We are "Bringing Wellness Home."