Having access to helpful mental health resources is extremely important for all people. Specifically for college students, poor mental health can impact academics, athletics, friendships, and more. Not every school is the same, as universities provide many different resources based on your needs whether it is one-on-one or group sessions.
1. Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS):
CAPS is a mental health resource at most universities where students can go and meet with a counselor about any mental health problems that they are struggling with. They will provide you with a 15-30 minute screening to see what they can help with and then send up a weekly meeting. The counselors will give you recommendations whether it is finding any off-campus resources or mental health groups provided on campus if needed.
2. Wellness and Health Clubs:
There are many different groups and clubs provided at universities to help students with certain issues. This consists of Spectrum (LGBTQ+), Women Against Sexual Assault and Rape (MARS), and Men Against Sexual Assault and Rape (RARS). Most schools have the option for group therapy where you can join a group of people to talk about what you are going through and talk to people who are going through similar things. These clubs and groups are created so everyone feels like they have a voice and talk about what is bothering them with no judgment.
3. TalkCampus:
TalkCampus is a safe space where you can talk about anything while being completely anonymous. You can talk about mental health, depression, eating disorders, stress, or pretty much anything that you are struggling with. The way to get started is to download the app, log in with your school email, and then start talking with a community that understands.
4. Mobile Apps
There are many apps that are not only used in colleges but to help people all around the world. Headspace is one of the most popular mental health apps that provides meditation to help users with stress and anxiety. Happify is another app to help mental health that uses games and activities to help with relaxation. It also measures your weekly happiness and the app is customized for each person. Mindshift is an app for those who are using cognitive behavior therapy and it involves resources to help the person relax. This app is used for those who have mental health conditions like phobias, panic disorders, and social anxiety.
Some of these apps require payments but check with your school to see if they have a student discount or login code available for you to use.
5. Academic Accommodations:
Academic accommodations are provided at every college to make sure individuals with disabilities or attention disorders have an equal opportunity. These accommodations can include extended time on exams, use of laptops or calculators for exams, permission for audio recordings, reduced course load, priority registration, and text-to-speech programs. However, the more difficult accommodations to get are extended time on projects or papers or alternative exam formats. To get access to these accommodations, you must talk to your college's accessibility service office.
6. Emergency Mental Health Hotlines:
- 988 Mental Health Emergency Hotline will connect you to a crisis counselor no matter where you are.
- National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233
- Self-Harm Hotline: Text CONNECT to 741741
- LGBTQ National Hotline: 1-888-843-4564
