The Hill News on Mental Health at SLU

TW: Suicide, Self-Harm

The past year has been a difficult one for many students. The Hill News would like to address mental health at St. Lawrence University and include resources to bring this important issue to light. 

These last three semesters, we have watched students and faculty become exhausted and stressed out from constant Zoom meetings and classes, condensed schedules, concerns about public and personal health, and a decline in campus activities and interconnectedness.  

But the pandemic only exacerbated and brought attention to areas where the university already needed to do more. A report from the American College Health Association in 2018 found that 40 percent of college students struggle with depression that impacts their ability to function.  Another report by the National Center for Biotechnology Information said that one in five college students engage in non-suicidal self-injury.  Similarly, a 2018 study by the Harvard Medical School showed that one in five college students consider suicide. Considering the growing concern over the impact that the Covid-19 pandemic has had on mental health, it is critical for colleges to recognize that student mental health is in its most dire position ever.

How can students practice self care right now? Don’t get lost in the struggles of others. One of the most important things about self-care, is the first word, self. The most important question is do you matter to you? The change doesn’t come right away when you start self-care; it takes small steps and alterations. Set boundaries with loved ones and participate in activities that make your body, soul and mind happy. Finding alone time can take form in relaxation, naps, running, studying and eating. When you are comfortable with yourself, you can start to be comfortable handling others. The most important, and often most difficult especially throughout college, is to surround yourself with people who make you feel good. Trust yourself to find those people, because they are out there looking for you too. Be around those who make you shine from within. 

There is also a lot of pressure to be successful in college.  It’s easy to rationalize sacrificing sleep, proper meals and adequate relaxation for deadlines, but studies show it’s actually much more effective to prioritize self care. Cinema and social media also create the illusion that you have to be operating at an unachievable level of happiness and success. Shawn Achor’s book “The Happiness Advantage” describes his theory that happiness comes before success. Sheer willpower only exists in extreme life or death situations of survival (which explains why restrictive diets are usually failures). Achor has repeatedly proven through his work with corporations and business leaders that being kind to yourself and your employees improves performance. Focusing on your strengths and being your own best source of encouragement is the key to developing a mindset receptive to success. 

The Hill News would also like to directly address where mental health resources on campus are lacking. The current counseling staff consists of six members, six people who are somehow supposed to handle the hundreds, possibly thousands of students on campus who struggle with mental health concerns. If forty percent of St. Lawrence students deal with depression that impacts their ability to function, as the ACHA study suggests, that is 957 students for which the six staff members of the Counseling Center are somehow supposed to provide.  These caring and amazing staff members are doing their best, but they need much more manpower and resources.

   Similarly, the related funding for the Counseling Center should be increased. We further call on the administration to examine the structural and systemic influences that may contribute to mental health deterioration among St. Lawrence students, both during and after the Covid-19 pandemic. Student life can involve such things as loneliness, marginalization, deadline stress, and concerns about the future, and the structure of the university and student experience at St. Lawrence needs to actively combat this. In addition to regularly examining these structural and systemic influences on the student experience, St. Lawrence should establish positions in the Student Life Administration to focus specifically on the impact the student experience has on mental health. We are calling for increases in funding, changes in school policies and new positions whose entire focus is directed at promoting a healthier campus.

Finally, we call on the University to take swift action to address the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on student mental health.

To fellow students: Take it easy on yourself and understand that you are living through historical times and it can be extremely challenging to manage your college life on top of everything else that may be going on.  It is important now to prioritize yourself and to take time out and practice self-care. 

Counseling Resources: 

To schedule a counseling appointment contact the Diana B. Torrey Health and Counseling center at 315-229-5392, Monday through Friday, 8:30-4:30. 

SLU Crisis Resources:

SLU Crisis/Consultation Line: 315-229-1914

SLU Safety and Security: 315-229-5555 

Advocates Sexual Violence Hotline: 315-244-5466 

Community and National Crisis Resources: 

Reach Out of St. Lawrence County: 315-265-2422 

The Trevor Helpline (LGBTQ): 1-866-488-7386 

CRISIS TEXT: (text) 741-741 

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK