Help for College Students
You’ve waited your whole life to begin this new chapter of college. You’ve worked hard and achieved the accomplishment of attending a University/College as you are on your way to the real world…who knew it would be so hard? You are not alone. It will be OK, there is HOPE and HELP available! Living away from home? Trying to find the balance between working hard and playing hard? The pressure of succeeding… can I really do this?
- 41.2% of students surveyed reported they felt things were hopeless any time within the last 12 months (ACHANCHA Fall 2015).
- 51.3% of students surveyed reported they felt very lonely within the last 12 months (ACHANCHA Fall 2015).
- 29.8% of students surveyed reported they felt so depressed that it was difficult to function within the last 12 months (ACHANCHA Fall 2015).
- 8.7% of students surveyed reported that they had seriously considered suicide any time in the last 12 months, while 1.6% reported attempting suicide anytime in the last 12 months. (ACHANCHA Fall 2015).
Reasons Attributed to Increased Symptoms/Disorders
- New and unfamiliar environment
- Academic and social pressures
- Feelings of failure or decreased performance
- Alienation
- Family history of mental illness
- Lack of adequate coping skills
Resources for College Students
The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is a national network of local crisis centers that provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you need help, call or text 9-8-8 now. You will be routed to the closest possible crisis center in your area.
Crisis Text Line is free 24/7 support at your fingertips where every texter is connected with a real-life, trained Crisis Counselor. All Crisis Counselors are volunteers, who donate ttheir time to helping people in crisis. Text 741741 or send a message on WhatsApp.
Active Minds was incorporated as a 501(c)3 organization in late 2003. In ten years, the non-profit organization has grown into a well recognized entity in the field, led by a committed team of full time staff members under Alison’s direction, as well as a Board of Directors, National Advisory Committee and Student Advisory Committee. Featured on CNN, in The New York Times, Chronicle of Higher Education and much more, Active Minds has become the voice of young adult mental health advocacy nationwide. With more than 400 campus chapters, hundreds of thousands of young adults all across the country are benefiting from the Active Minds model.
Campus Blues features information and resources for college students on mental health, anxiety, loneliness, alcohol abuse, gambling and other social and emotional issues.
Jed Foundation is a web-based resource for parents, students, college professionals and supporters. Their goal is to help students become emotionally healthy before they reach the point of crisis by helping students make lifestyle changes that promote sounder mental health, encouraging students to seek help when they need it and ensuring our students are in safe, healthy campus communities able and committed to protecting their best interests.
The SPRC is the nation’s only federally supported resource center devoted to advancing the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention. They provide technical assistance, training and materials to increase the knowledge and expertise of suicide prevention practitioners and other professionals serving people at risk for suicide. SPRC promotes collaboration among a variety of organizations that play a role in developing the field of suicide prevention.
Ulifeline.org is a web-based resource created by the Jed Foundation to provide students with a non-threatening and supportive link to their college’s mental health center as well as important mental health information. Students are able to download information about various mental illnesses, ask questions, make appointments and seek help anonymously via the Internet. Resources offered on Ulifeline.org include a customized version of Go Ask Alice! that allows students to have virtually any mental health question answered 24 hours a day, a mental health and drug information library that features consumer health information from Harvard Medical School and the Duke Diagnostic Psychiatry Screening Program, which allows the ULifeline user to be screened for different mental health disorders. While this screening is not meant to take the place of an evaluation by a mental health professional, a positive result suggests that the student would benefit from comprehensive mental health screening.