Addressing Mental Health in Higher Education

Mental health is a pervasive issue on college campuses that needs to be addressed by faculty members. One in four college students have a diagnosable illness, 40 percent do not seek help, 80 percent feel overwhelmed by their responsibilities, and 50 percent have become so anxious that they struggle in school, according to research conducted by the National Alliance on Mental Health cited in a recent Faculty Focus article. In the article, author Stacy Roth, an adjunct instructor in the psychology department at Temple University, gives tips on how faculty members can address students’ mental health and create a compassionate classroom environment. Strategies include developing a rapport with students from the beginning of the course; outlining important numbers for support services in the syllabus; scheduling an appointment with students who disclosed a mental health issue; and completing a self assessment at the end of the semester to evaluate how well you supported students with mental health issues.