Mental
health resources plentiful on MU campus
by
Becky Legel, posted Oct. 19, 2007
When Ross Szabo, director of youth outreach
for the National Mental Health Awareness Campaign, asked MU
students if they knew someone dealing with a mental health
issue, nearly everyone raised their hands. But when he asked
how many people knew someone getting help for that issue,
the number of hands significantly decreased.
Szabo’s presentation, “Mixed Drinks and Mixed
Emotions: Alcohol Abuse and Mental Health,” held Tuesday,
Oct. 2, 2007, in Jesse Auditorium, fell at the beginning of
Alcohol Responsibility Month and Greeks Advocating the Mature
Management of Alcohol (GAMMA) Week at MU. However, the issues
he presented are things that students on campus have to think
about all year.
“Mental health issues are happening,” Szabo said.
The large number of MU students at the presentation who knew
someone suffering silently is common across the U.S.
Statistics from the National Institute of Mental Health state
that one out of every five teens has some type of mental health
problem in a given year, and one out of four adults suffers
from a diagnosable mental disorder. However, 70 percent of
people who could benefit from professional help do not seek
it, Szabo said.
Szabo defined the term “mental health issue” as any problem caused by stress, relationships, anxiety or
a lack of sleep.
Lack of sleep is the biggest problem that creates mental
health issues for college students, Szabo said.
Dr. Mark Kuhnert, an MU psychology professor, said he thinks
another big problem for college students is adapting to the
college atmosphere. College is a big adjustment because “there’s
not that safety net anymore of family and friends,” he said.
Making it OK to Ask for Professional Help
Kim Dude, director at the MU Wellness Resource Center, said
the center co-sponsored Szabo’s presentation with GAMMA
because it wanted people to have a different perspective on
the issue of college drinking. The Wellness Center helps students
dealing with issues realize that it is OK to ask for help.
“Wellness is mind, body and soul,” Dude said.
“The goal is for students to be successful on campus.”
If someone had a broken arm, they would not hesitate to go
to the doctor, and it should be the same with mental health,
Dude said.
Szabo said something similar in his presentation.
“When your brain has a problem, you’re not going
to limp or bleed,” Szabo said. “You don’t
have to be afraid of this issue anymore.”
Campus Efforts
In the aftermath of the Virginia Tech tragedy, students, parents
and school administrators have been more aware of mental health
issues affecting college students.
“The upside that came out of the tragedy is that we’re
making sure we can meet the demands as people are becoming
more aware of mental health issues,” said Anne Meyer,
a licensed psychologist and interim clinical director at the
MU Counseling Center. “Everybody is looking out for
each other more.”
Many departments at MU are coordinating more to increase
awareness and monitor odd behaviors through the At-Risk Behaviors
Committee. Members of this committee include the MU Counseling
Center, MU Police Department, Judicial Affairs and Residential
Life.
Many campuses worry that there are not enough resources to
deal with the demand. MU is one of these campuses. From the
time students call the MU Counseling Center, for example,
they may have to wait two or three weeks for an appointment.
However, wait times should not discourage students from requesting
help. Students have many places to go. The MU Counseling Center,
Student Health Center and Psychological Services Clinic all
have trained professionals in the field. Other centers on
campus offer information on wellness and a place for students
to talk to each other about serious issues such as mental
health.
Meyer encouraged students to request professional help “sooner
rather than later.” Students often seek help around
finals week when they may be concerned about failing courses
or failing out of school. However, there is only so much that
professionals can do to help at this point.
Even if the center reaches capacity, a staff counselor is
available every weekday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. to work with
students on short-term problem solving. If needed, this counselor
may refer a student to another department on campus or in
the community.
Overall, the most important thing students dealing with wellness
issues can do is talk to somebody.
“Reach out, do not become isolated, brainstorm with
somebody else about what you can do to get help,” Meyer
said.
The way to get better is to change your coping mechanism,
Szabo said. If students are feeling down or stressed, they
should talk to someone instead of bottling it up inside. According
to his statistics, 80 to 90 percent of people with mental
issues get help and go on to function like they did before.
Resources
