Here are some of the results from a mental health survey conducted by Active Minds at UCSD of 90 UCSD students. Although this survey is not representative of all college students at UCSD or otherwise, it does give us a rough approximation of some of the attitudes that college students have regarding mental health.
We first wanted to assess how students perceive mental health’s importance in other people’s lives and their own. The majority of participants believed that spreading awareness of mental health to the public is extremely important and has a big impact on one’s own overall health. What we found is that the majority of the students surveyed regard mental health as a vital aspect to be well-educated about. The small differences in percentages between questions, 69 percent agreeing mental health is very important while 51 percent stating it has a profound effect on overall health, may reflect the stigma of mental health. It seems easier to recommend help to others than it is to acknowledge one’s own need for help.
In addition, we were looking to find how much of a role mental health has played in people’s lives as well as with their interpersonal relationships. In our sample, 72.7 percent of the students have dealt with mental illness either personally or with someone they know. In addition, 68.2 percent of the students reported being comfortable talking to someone about their own mental health. This is a good sign because it may mean that students are not “bottling up” their feelings, which could lead to negative consequences. However, it is disheartening that only 34.1 percent of the students have participated in campus extracurricular events involving mental health. This implies indifference towards the issue, lack of opportunity, or ignorance of events involving mental health.
Fortunately, the majority of survey participants report knowing where to access psychological services on campus. However, most have limited mental health coverage in their insurance plans. Nearly half of the students did not believe UCSD could offer satisfactory treatment. Because such a large proportion of the students report not feeling confident with UCSD’s care, how many of them are actually seeking help? How many are working towards maintaining their mental health and struggling because of the insufficient resources on campus?
Lastly, we assessed what types of misconceptions students had about mental health. One interesting result was that almost 70 percent of the surveyed students would be hesitant to room with someone if that person had a mental illness. Presumably, some mental illnesses may be perceived as more alarming than others. Regardless of where students draw the line for their tolerance of mental illnesses, one of the possible contributors to this hesitation is likely the portrayal of the mentally ill as dangerous individuals in mass media. Our results highlight some of the pressing mental health issues that should be addressed on college campuses, including insurance coverage, stigma and resource accessibility. A cure-all policy change is unrealistic but at the very least, let us continue raising awareness for mental health on campus.
The Active Minds Policy Subcommittee consists of Austin F. Lau, Alison Sweet, Iliana De La Trinidad, Kaitlin Harunk, & Sarah Tran.