This Halloween, what scares us more than haunted houses or walking home alone at night hides from plain sight. We at the Wheel believe we need to address the issue of mental health and stress on campus, a prevalent problem that does not seem to be at the forefront of preventative campus initiatives.
In a world dominated by rankings, statistics and competition, it is not surprising to us that students are stressed. What is surprising is that the American Psychological Association found that universities across the nation have seen an increase in the prevalence of severe psychological conditions, including depression and anxiety. This is not the type of stress that gives you an extra boost of adrenaline on test day. This is the type of stress that compounds over time, builds in quiet increments, is relentless in eating away at a student’s mental health.
The shocking truth is that mental illness is pervasive and does not necessarily look the way we expect it to. It may be a week of not eating. It may be not feeling motivation to get out of bed for a month. It may be isolation. It may be generalized anxiety. It may not even present itself in a way that we understand completely. And for something that is so prevalent, some of us certainly do our best to pretend it isn’t there or make light of it. “That’s crazy,” some say to refer to things they find unusual. “You’re overreacting,” others say to someone voicing their feelings of stress. At the same time, there is a widespread notion that everyone is just as stressed as everyone else.
We live in a world where mental illnesses are swept aside and those suffering from them are silenced because the people and institutions we entrust with our minds have not acknowledged the prevalence and importance of mental well being. The task of fostering a University culture in which mental health is just as if not more important than academic and professional success falls upon those who set the terms of the culture: the administration and the faculty.
In light of this issue on campus, we need to have more flexible guidelines for appropriate excuses on tests and classwork. We need to work with students who express suicidal thoughts and depression, not simply resort to medical leave. We need to acknowledge that many often neglect their personal relationships, healthy sleep, diet habits or exercise to fulfill the demands of Emory academics. Whether or not the University is concerned with or even knows about the prevalence of these habits, we find them to be unacceptable. Being a student at Emory should never exacerbate or be the cause of a mental illness.
To be clear, there are numerous campus resources available for students seeking mental health counseling, including Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) and the Emory Helpline. But all the world-class facilities and premier mental health professionals in the world will not help a community that does not acknowledge it has a problem. No matter these services’ effectiveness, students won’t show up to their doorsteps with a culture that at best, ignores mentally unhealthy people and at worst, ostracizes and silences them.
While measures of success are important, there is more to the well being of students than their academic success and the physical quality of their campus. The absence of students’ mental well being in Emory’s mission statement is resounding, and, for many, whether the University intends this or not, lays out the reality of the University’s priorities: mental health is second string.
While mental illness may be discussed among close friends, during a club meeting, behind closed doors, there is no evidence that this is the subject of a campus-wide discussion in the way it should be. We ask that Emory not only meaningfully address mental illness on our campus but also adopt into its mission an investment in the mental health of its students.
The above staff editorial represents the majority opinion of the Wheel‘s editorial board.
The Emory Wheel was founded in 1919 and is currently the only independent, student-run newspaper of Emory University. The Wheel publishes weekly on Wednesdays during the academic year, except during University holidays and scheduled publication intermissions.
The Wheel is financially and editorially independent from the University. All of its content is generated by the Wheel’s more than 100 student staff members and contributing writers, and its printing costs are covered by profits from self-generated advertising sales.
“We live in a world where mental illnesses are swept aside and those suffering from them are silenced because the people and institutions we entrust with our minds have not acknowledged the prevalence and importance of mental well being. The task of fostering a University culture in which mental health is just as if not more important than academic and professional success falls upon those who set the terms of the culture: the administration and the faculty.”
Brilliant. This isn’t an Emory issue though, it’s a national issue that needs to be addressed from pre-K all the way through post-grad programs.
Success does not breed happiness – happiness breeds success, and happiness is a byproduct of mental health. Emory’s own sociology professor, Corey Keyes, has researched this topic extensively his class, The Sociology of Happiness, was hands down the best course that I took at Emory. The Flourish Emory initiative is also a major step in the right direction.
I’d love to see Emory become one of the premier university leaders in this mental health initiative. Mental health and happiness isn’t something that we just stumble upon. As with anything, it requires effort, practice and repetition.
Just ask Emory University’s friend, the Dalai Lama, what he thinks:
“Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.”
Every time I read an Emory Opinion article I cringe with how poorly thought out it is. But this article in particular just seems like some writer figured “here’s a contentious issue, let me rehash the same sentiments everyone pretty much agrees with but in a way that has a vague feeling of speaking truth to power without actually contributing anything”. Please, Emory Opinion writers, cut it out.
From the article: “…we need to have more flexible guidelines for appropriate excuses on tests and classwork. We need to work with students who express suicidal thoughts and depression, not simply resort to medical leave. We need to acknowledge that many often neglect their personal relationships, healthy sleep, diet habits or exercise to fulfill the demands of Emory academics…”
I’m not sure how an Emory student could reasonably come to this conclusion, after spending their first semester in a mandatory class to address “suicidal thoughts and depression”. I’m pretty sure that entire class is about “acknowledging that many often neglect their personal relationships, healthy sleep, diet habits or exercise”. Outside of actual mandatory classes, there are resources like the compassion meditation program or Happiness Bootcamp that people are putting a lot of effort into making successful. And “have more flexible guidelines for appropriate excuses on tests and classwork”? After you figure out this incredibly vague idea, are you going to go tell every professor what their policy should be?
I’m fine with an article being anti-establishment. Actually, that seems like exactly what a college newspaper ought to be doing. But this article, and articles like it, discount the work of a huge number of people. It basically sounds likes you went up to some random kid on the street, asked, “Is mental health a priority for you?” “Uhhh I guess-” “WE NEED 2 PRIORITIZE MENTAL HEALTH! EMORY WHY U NO LISTEN 2 US KEEDZZZZZZ” Instead of churning out more articles about how horrible Emory is, why don’t you start doing actual research about what people are doing and talk about those.
Thanks, The Wheel, for bringing mental health on our campus to the
forefront of the conversation. I have one specific suggestion for improvement
that lies in the hands of administration: remove caps at CAPS.
Currently,there is a session limit for students at Counseling and Psychological Services
which essentially limits treatment availability to about a semester, depending
on the individual situation. This is a result of insufficient funding of CAPS,
which is another example of what this article claims about university
priorities – “mental health is second string.” CAPS is doing the best
it can with the “second string” funding it receives, and is forced to
impose treatment limits to ensure that as many students as possible can be
seen. However, it could do so much more if given more. Further, it should be
noted, these session caps disproportionately affect students who are not able
to pay for mental health care out-of-pocket or with insurance. This is a double
injustice, leaving those of a certain socioeconomic background out in the
mental health cold.
To be fair, Emory’s funding of mental health support is on par with institutions like
it, and so the administration may feel satisfied. But we can do better. Emory
is not about being “on par;” Emory is a leader and in this area Emory
has the opportunity to lead as it does in so many other fields. The same
obsession with “rankings, statistics, and competition” can fuel the
solution: how refreshing would it be to be known as the school with the most
comprehensive mental health support in the region? In the nation?
The challenge has been given, Emory Campus Life admin. Time to rise to it.