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Higher ed focus now shifting to a coordinated mental care approach
As in many walks of life, the pandemic exacerbated concerns over mental health in the K-12 educational system. The American Rescue Plan Act passed in March 2021 allocated $122 billion in Elementary and Secondary School Relief funds, which among other support services, provided funding for counselors, psychologists, social workers and program implementation. Educators received training to recognize student behavior arising from trauma as well as the signs of damage to social and emotional learning abilities and mental health; and Social and Emotional Learning programs were implemented to help students develop self-awareness and self-management. Unfortunately, higher education did not receive the same level of support or focus — but times are changing and colleges and universities are placing a new focus on support and solutions.
The problem to solve is more acute than it might appear. Beyond anxiety and depression, the Association of American Universities reported in a 2018 study by Harvard Medical School that one in five students seriously considered suicide in the past year. Fast forward a few years to today and universities are now recognizing the need for progressive action to support students, staff and faculty experiencing these and other difficulties. As T. Itunu Balogun, Deputy Chief of Staff, Office of the President of Kean University, says: “Every educational organization has a responsibility to guide and support their students in achieving their academic goals and pursuing their dreams. But it's not just the academic success that educational organizations should strive for; it's also the social and emotional well-being of their students that plays a crucial role in shaping their future. By providing the necessary resources, guidance, and support, institutions can help their students succeed and make a positive impact in the world. After all, campuses are a community, and by their very nature, communities support each other's needs and aspirations.”
Initial action from colleges and universities has taken the form of 1-800 numbers to help students find support and care, with many campuses offering meditation classes and promoting healthy living through gym facilities. But more advanced institutions are now beginning to favor solutions that don’t rely so heavily on students and staff self-diagnosing an issue and proactively seeking help. New approaches seek to use the vast amounts of mental health data on campus to create more connected, intelligence-driven programs and solutions to provide care.
Growing need for campus mental health data and insights to build an effective response
While momentum is gathering for this kind of change, many universities and colleges still have hurdles to overcome. Data exists that can help build a more effective response, but many, if not most, institutions suffer from issues with legacy platforms and data collection barriers. This of course makes it difficult to understand the true scope and scale of emotional and social wellbeing issues, or prepare a solution, when many university tech platforms remain disconnected. As colleges focus on solutions for improved support, four main challenges need to be addressed: