Mental Health in Learning Institutions

Mental health is a significant area for colleges and universities because it helps promote psychological wellbeing and academic success among students. It is a critical subject especially in learning institutions given that it influences productivity, physical health, psychological health, and social behaviors of the students thereby impacting learning. According to James (2019), in a report by You Gov, one in every four college students suffer from mental health problems with anxiety and depression accounting for 74% and 77% respectively. There is a substantial amount of pressure placed on learning institutions to provide ideal support to students exhibiting mental health problems. However, mental health services in numerous universities are overstretched and underfunded thus creating an environment that can deteriorate a student’s mental health (James, 2019). As such, as posited by Goodman (2017), universities fail to meet the holistic needs of the students because of the current infrastructure and policies that do not unanimously promote mental health. 

The consequences of the issues of student mental health extend to family members, campuses, and the community. A study found that 5% of students fail to complete their education because of psychiatric disorders and it is also estimated that 4.29 million people would have graduated from universities and colleges had they not been suffering from such disorders (SPRC, 2020). In addition, students’ resilience has also been reducing in recent years which encompasses the aspect of student mental health concern (Eva, 2019).In the contemporary world, mental health issues are prevalent among many young people and result from social stress such as unemployment, social disadvantages such as debts, discrimination and stigma, social isolation, childhood abuse, substance abuse, and domestic violence. This paper aims to evaluate how colleges and universities discuss students’ mental health in formal documents and institutional websites. The efficacy of the formal documents and institutional websites in discussing students’ mental health will also be discussed based on student reports on the impact of such mechanisms on their social and academic performance. For instance, Mistler et al. (2012) asserts that in a study by the Association for University and College Counseling Centre Directors, 67% of students reported positively on the impact of counseling services on their academic performance. 

Importance of Mental Health Awareness 

The occurrence of tragic events in colleges is often attributed to mental health concerns, as such; there is a progressive increase by the tertiary institutions in raising awareness of mental health concerns. Tackling mental health awareness within institutions is important as it mentally prepares students for the challenges that they might encounter after graduation (George, 2020). It also provides them with essential cognitive and psychological skills that are necessary in life. The mental health of university students has become an undeniable concern for the community, service providers, and university administrators. 

Most universities place a considerable emphasis on academic success while neglecting the students’ mental health which is a significant factor in influencing their performance. Based on a survey by the American Mental Health Association as cited by Student Mental Health Program (2013), mental health significantly correlates with measures of academic success. Students with extreme levels of psychological distress often experience heightened anxiety during tests and examinations. Also, they generally exhibit a reduced academic self-efficacy and are thereby likely to perform dismally. This highlights the integral role that colleges and universities have on students’ mental health. 

In recent years, there has been an increase in universities’ intervention to their students’ mental health through counseling and administrative programs. According to Eva (2019), most colleges and universities are beginning to share mental health information proactively with students on a face-to-face basis during orientation sessions. However, research indicates that students are not especially responsive to these programs (Hunter, 2013). While this trend can mostly be attributed to the strategies employed by the learning institutions, Hunter (2013) advances that there are other ways of disseminating this information such as the use of formal documents, institutional websites, and even social media. However, Hunter (2013) states that the students should be made aware of the universities’ mental health discussion resources for them to accrue significant benefits. Hunter (2013) posits that, students reported to not have benefited from information on mental health provided by campus administrators because they could not identify with the information. Students are concerned with information on anxiety, depression, sleep, grief and relationship difficulties and on how to help others. 

Application and Use of websites 

Colleges and universities have different ways in which they employ institutional websites and formal documents in discussing mental health. For instance, UCLA uses its website to offer massive online screenings to measure depression and anxiety. Such online assessments help students learn whether they exhibit any signs of depression, suicidal thoughts, or anxiety. As such, they get to receive treatments and counseling services (Eva, 2019). Also, the University of New South Wales in a partnership with St. Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney have a program on their website which is intended to help students understand various aspects of their mental health and connect with a psychiatrist for counseling. Such platforms by universities aid in the discussion of students’ mental health by enhancing student participation into mental health programs and understanding of pertinent issues regarding mental health. Potential solutions can then be developed for the identified issues through other direct channels such as face-to-face counseling. 

Accoding to Eva (2019), universities are increasingly observing a decrease in the level of student resilience which constitutes a mental health concern. Several colleges and universities such as Florida State University recently launched a resilience training tool in their website that requires all incoming freshmen to participate in the training to foster their coping strategies and strengths. The websites also provide contact details for the support services offered by the university which subsequently promotes students’ access to mental health providers (Whittaker, 2021). In this way, institution websites provide information that students can identify with and as such triggers increased student engagement in mental health programs. Subsequent increase in engagement enhances deeper understanding of mental issues thereby augmenting student’s cognitive well-being which then yields academic success and psychological stability. 

Application and Use of documents 

University and college policies, including the institutions roles and responsibilities as well as the corresponding roles and responsibilities of the students are normally disseminated in formal documents. These documents include legal constructs that define the course of action taken by the universities and colleges in addressing mental health concerns. The documents are important ways to raise awareness and discussing initiatives taken by the university in promoting mental health (Eva, 2019). They are often used in campus-wide initiatives, programs and courses to disseminate information regarding mental health thereby promoting discussion with the students (Eva, 2019).Additionally, formal documents can also communicate information on events initiated by a particular university or college in which students can interact and share their stories regarding their state of mental health. Such interactions and story-telling sessions attempt to establish a resonance of experiences in order to augment coping mechanisms for students. 

The use of formal documents by colleges and universities in discussing students’ mental health is an under-researched subject thus indicating a gap. There are limited studies and research that address the specific applications of formal documents in institutions as a way of discussing students’ mental health. Additionally, there is insufficient literature on the limitations of institutional websites and formal documents employed by universities in discussing students’ mental health. This study will thus provide a framework on which the identified gaps can be discussed in the future research. 

Methodology 

The study conducted will take up a qualitative research design, evaluating the level of student interaction with university websites and documents when it comes to mental health issues. It will also look to establish how helpful these resources have been for students in dealing with and managing their mental health issues. The United States has a large number of education institutions making up a significantly large population of study, as such to narrow down the study population, the study will be conducted in five colleges and universities in various states across the country. The institutions will be selected based on the structure and functionality of their institutional websites and frequency in using formal documents to address student mental health concerns. This is to ensure that every university identified for the study is actively involved in student mental health concerns. The research will encompass both students and staff members of the institutions. While the websites and documents are meant to help and guide students, they are often developed by specific staff within the learning institutions who can further explain their efficiency and effectiveness in dealing with mental health issues. 

The staff will constitute university administrators, lecturers, and IT experts responsible for developing and maintaining the institutional websites. The study will take up a sample size of 200 participants. Each of the chosen college or university will provide 40 participants including 35 students and 5 staff members. The 35 students will be distributed across different levels of study to further enhance the diversity of the outcomes. The 5 staff members will include 2 professional IT experts and secretaries who are in charge of managing the websites and various documentation communications while the other three will include the dean of students and two counselors. These staff members are the most likely to be informed on mental health issues among students and how the school’s resources in websites and documentation are used to tackle these issues within the school. 

The study will take up the use of Questionnaires and informal interviews to collect data among the participants regarding the use of websites and documents in addressing mental health issues among students. Questions such as whether or not a student interacts with the school website and relevant documentation in managing their mental health issues as well as how often these resources have been impactful in mentally stressful situations will be asked to highlight the effectiveness of the resources. The staff will also be engaged on how effective these resources are in helping students handle their mental health issues on account of the potential traffic experienced and the general outcomes of their potential use. While the staff members will be selected through purposive sampling technique, the students’ participants will be selected through the adoption of random sampling technique. 

The study also acknowledges that a significant number of demographic factors impact mental health including gender and race, whether or not a student is international as well as the period of time spent within the schools. However, the study will not include any restrictions based on demographic factors. Given the aim of to evaluate student’s interaction with university websites and documents in relation to mental health concerns, the study will involve all students chosen at random. 

References 

Eva, A. (2019). How Colleges Today Are Supporting Student Mental Health. Retrieved 19 March 2021, from www.greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_colleges_today_are_supporting_student_mental_health 

George, B. (2020). The Importance of Mental Health Awareness in Schools. Retrieved 29 March 2021, from www.anzmh.asn.au/blog/mental-health/mental-health-awareness-in-schools#:~:text=It%20is%20highly%20important%20to,dealing%20with%20their%20inner%20issues. 

Goodman, L. (2017). Mental Health on University Campuses and the Needs of Students They Seek to Serve.  Building Healthy Academic Communities Journal ,  1 (2), 31. 

doi: 10.18061/bhac.v1i2.6056 

Hunter, C. (2013). The Importance of Promoting Mental Health in Universities. Retrieved 19 March 2021, from www.womenshealth.obgyn.msu.edu/blog/importance-promoting-mental-health-universities 

James, F. (2019). Mental Health in Higher Education: What Role Should Universities Play?. Retrieved 19 March 2021, from www.qs.com/mental-health-higher-education-what-role-universities-play/ 

Mistler, B., Reetz, D., Krylowicz, B., & Barr, V. (2012). The Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors Annual Survey. Retrieved 29 March 2021, from www.files.cmcglobal.com/Monograph_2012_AUCCCD_Public.pdf 

Student Mental Health Program. (2013). Student Mental Health: An Important Element of Student Success. Retrieved 19 March 2021, from www.asccc.org/sites/default/files/SMH%20-%20An%20Important%20Element%20of%20Student%20Success%20rev%20103114.pdf 

SPRC. (2020). Consequences of Student Mental Health Issues | Suicide Prevention Resource Center. Retrieved 29 March 2021, from www.sprc.org/colleges-universities/consequences 

Whittaker, J. (2021). How Universities Offer Student Mental Health Support. Retrieved 19 March 2021, from www.whatuni.com/advice/wellbeing/mental-health-support-available-university/44524/ 

Appendix A 

Interview and questionnaire questions