THE
CHARGER BULLETIN The official news source of the University of New Haven. Volume 98, Issue 8| October 19, 2016 | West Haven, Conn.
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Mental Health and College Students By GLENN ROHRBACKER
Editor in Chief grohr1@NEWHAVEN.EDU
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Y
ou are looking out the
window as you drive past your new home. You see a lot of strangers, tall buildings with elaborate features, families there for the same reason you are, and the grocery chain that will be your new local store. You think about all of the years you have spent where you grew up, the friends you have made, the family you love, the school where you developed into who you are, and you do not see any of it. You
(Photo via iStock)
do not think about how you need all those things, rather
experience and this is what
signs for it, and individuals
health conditions. Dr. Hain-
that they were all memories
is part of being human,” said
should seek help when they
line’s personal task force put
and you’re bound to make
John McPhee, CEO of the
need it and also learn about
together a book called, Mind,
new ones. You have to, right?
JED Foundation.
privacy laws when sharing
Body and Sport, which has
information. The most im-
been distributed to every
Little do you know, these
New studies are showing
feelings will not go away. You
that mental health risks are
portant thing NAMI tries
NCAA school. The book goes
will miss your family when
most common between the
to encourage is starting a
over the best practices for
you need them most. You
ages 18 and 24. A report
conversation about mental
dealing with mental illness
will want your old friends on
from the National Alliance
health within families before
for both coaches and stu-
a Friday night. You will think
on Mental Illness shows that
a student goes off to college.
dents.
about the teachers that you
75% of mental health condi-
“We need to have conver-
Hainline has also put a fo-
came to know. And, you are
tions form between these
sations more often, because
cus on the protocols used by
not the only one.
ages – the exact same time
mental illness is the biggest
schools to treat students and
most students are at college.
public health issue that col-
student athletes with men-
quite a bit of anxiety and
The report also finds that 1 in
lege students are not talking
tal illness. The association
even overwhelming anxi-
5 young adults are living with about,” says Gilliberti.
ety in some cases,” says Dr.
a mental illness today, with
Charles Anderson, Director
suicide ranking as the second
of Counseling and Psycho-
leading cause of death among troversial topics like alcohol
logical Services at the Uni-
ages 15 to 24, as confirmed
abuse and sexual assault,
well as mental health educa-
versity of New Haven.
by the JED Foundation.
but not enough conversation
tion.
“It’s a natural set-up for
Anxiety and depression
“We [The JED Founda-
looked at the resources avail-
There are currently a lot
able at universities to see if
of conversations about con-
they could provide adequate
about mental health. When talking to student
healthcare to students, as
“If a student athlete is going to seek help for mental
are the two most common
tion] know how critically
mental illnesses in college
important it is that the right
leaders in all three divi-
help, he or she has to feel like
students, although the trend
type of safety net is being set
sions of the NCAA, Dr. Brian
he or she is in an environ-
does shift over the years.
up around a college student
Hainline discovered that
ment, and that the coach is
One of the factors contrib-
as they embark on this new
the unanimous concern was
supportive,” Hainline said.
uting to the difficulty of a
journey in their lives,” says
mental health, and they
mental health condition is
McPhee.
asked him to make it his
affects a student’s academic
priority as Chief Medical Of-
performance and overall
ficer.
mood and livelihood, but
the stigma around this area
According to the JED
Mental illness not only
of illness. Although not much
Foundation, a non-profit
different from other kinds
dealing with mental health
“We discovered that stu-
of illness, mental illness is
in teens and young adults,
dent athletes have different
treated as less important
over half of college students
stressors that make them
than physical illness. Thus, it
will go through a period of
more prone to other types of
professional mental health
makes it less encouraging for
time with high anxiety and
mental conditions,” he said.
disciplines is that the most
people to seek help for these
one third of college students
The NCAA has worked for
problems.
will experience some level of
the past three years consoli-
way to curb the stigma
depression.
date different information on
against mental health and
mental illness to help colleg-
provide the right type of care and support for students is
“As more of us share our experiences, then the stigma
NAMI is looking to outline
starts to reduce, as we un-
the fact that mental illness is
es and universities support
derstand that this is a shared
common, there are warning
student athletes with mental
also their athletic performance. The consensus across
important and significant
See MENTAL HEALTH page 3
News Shailene Woodley broadcasts her arrest on Facebook pg. 2 Allington town clean-up pg. 3
Opinion Why America is already great pg. 4
Sports David Ortiz walks off the field pg. 7
Entertainment JoJo releases new album pg. 9
Student Life Mike Swift is crowned Deepher Dude pg. 11