Mental health in college. Let’s talk about it.
According to a 2019 study by the National Alliance on Mental Illness:
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One in four students have a diagnosable illness.
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40% of those students do not seek help.
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80% of students feel overwhelmed by their responsibilities.
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50% of students have become so anxious that they struggled in school.
Allow us to repeat: one in four students have a diagnosable illness, and almost half of them are not seeking help.
According to data, research, and good ol’ science, these numbers could only increase.
Look at the person sitting in front of you in class. Now look at the person next to you, the other side, and behind you. One of you has a diagnosable mental illness and may not be doing anything about it.
Why wouldn’t they?
We can’t say for sure, but we’re here to make sure the reason is not that they don’t know about the free services accessible to them on Hofstra’s campus. Let’s get started.
- The Student Health and Counseling Center (SHACC): One-on-One
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For more than just the sniffles. Hofstra’s SHACC offers students unlimited, free mental health counseling sessions with a graduate, mental-health profession students under direct supervision by licensed mental health professionals.
Each appointment is free or very low cost, regardless of insurance coverage. You can utilize the appointments as many times as you need per year (that myth that you can only see a counselor 10 times: busted).
You can call the SHACC to make an appointment at 516-463-6745.
Sound too good to be true? It only kind of is. You can typically only make appointments two to three weeks out since these services are so widely used across campus. Need more immediate assistance?
- Hofstra’s On-Call Counselors, 24/7
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Enter the on-call counselors. Whether you’re in full mental breakdown or just had a really sh*tty day, the on-call counselors are, well, on-call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, all throughout the year.
The catch? Well, there really isn’t one, but you do have to go through Public Safety. You can call either their emergency or non-emergency number, and they’ll immediately connect you with whoever is on-call. You can probably get why the counselors can’t just be giving their phone numbers out.
ICYMI: Everyone at Public Safety is super nice, especially when you call them in full breakdown mode. They’re there to keep us safe, so don’t be afraid or embarrassed to call when you need it. PSafe has your back.
- SHACC Group Counseling, For When Misery Loves Company
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Listen, we get it, sometimes you just don’t want to go at it alone (BTW: you’re never alone), and you want to live in a shared experience. The SHACC also offers weekly group counseling sessions that cover social anxiety, stress management, healthy relationships, discrimination, substance abuse, grief, mindfulness, and so much more. Grab a buddy and listen to some chill beats while painting a masterpiece and discussing the toxicity of hustle culture.
Hofstra may not be the best at promoting its mental health services, but it certainly does a great job at executing them. Know your resources, use your resources, and achieve the way you want to feel. College life is pretty awesome, don’t miss out on it. Break out of the 40%.
Courtesy of Corrine Kutz on Unsplash