Rates of depression and anxiety are skyrocketing on college campuses. Some studies have even estimated that the rate of students with depression has doubled in the last ten years.
Let’s talk about this. (THREAD)
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Imagine you’re a college student feeling depressed and alone. You don't know where to turn. Finally, you decide to reach out to your school administration for help.
Rather than being connected with school resources, you're told you need to take a leave of absence. (2/5)
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You don’t want to take time off—and in fact mental health professionals would recommend that sticking to your routine and being surrounded by your friends is best—but you don’t have a choice. You leave school for a semester.
But you never return to finish your degree. (3/5)
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Why? Not only do schools force students to leave, but they also make it incredibly difficult to return to campus.
This is the reality for far too many students. I’ve come up with a solution: the Student Mental Health Rights Act. (4/5)
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Today, I introduced legislation with & to require that study campus mental health policies and then work to ensure that they are compliant with federal standards. This will help students with mental health concerns finish their degrees. (5/5)
Part of every college class syllabus where I teach are the numbers for mental health services on campus. We profs go over the info several times per semester. This should be a national must. Every single campus has a counseling center.
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You are such a good member of Congress. I live in a place where we don't get one of those, so I pretend you represent me.
This is so meaningful and important for college students and their families - thank you.
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How about including funding for additional mental health resources on campuses? Students are often told they will have to wait weeks or months to see a counselor at university health services due to a lack of staff.
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I wish you all the luck to get this legislation passed. I, too, am working on a mental health problem that may tie into yours. I am working on getting school based health centers in every middle/high school in America. Would love to send you my proposal.
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It is unrealistic for most student to take a leave of absence when their student loans go into repayment mode after 3-6 months of not being enrolled in classes.
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Awesome, but can we also acknowledge that the roots of these issues lie in the middle and high school years and do something about funding for mental health support across the board? Like Universal Health Care that includes MH treatment?
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Katie this is a real problem. Prevents many kids from seeking help. Schools fail kids. Resources are only available for a short time. Kids are then left on their own.
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