In college, you are faced with navigating new experiences during an incredibly unique transitional point in your life. You are responsible for managing the pressures of earning your degree as well as balancing personal obligations and work responsibilities. It\u2019s one of the first times you have to become fully self-reliant and in touch with yourself. That is why it is so vital to ensure that your mental health is being properly cared for.<\/p>\n
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According to Healthy Minds\u2019 latest survey, college students are experiencing all-time high rates of depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation. From 2023 to 2024, 38% of students experienced depression, 34% experienced anxiety and 50% received a lifetime diagnosis of a mental disorder. Around 36% of students received mental health counseling, an increase of 6% from 2020.<\/p>\n
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This trend is not surprising, given all the reasons students may feel stressed today. Whether it\u2019s dealing with information overload online, social pressures or even home issues, all of it adds up. With so many pressures weighing on students, it is exceedingly apparent why mental health resources are so necessary.<\/p>\n
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It is perfectly understandable to feel overwhelmed and even homesick throughout the semester. That\u2019s why mental health resources are so important at colleges. At such a pivotal age in life, it can feel gratifying and comforting to talk to someone about the issues you\u2019re facing. Oftentimes, we think that we are struggling alone, but finding solace and validation in someone else can help us feel supported. If a struggling student is provided with the right resources and positive coping mechanisms, it could set them on the right track and prevent a mental health crisis.<\/p>\n
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College is a time when you\u2019re learning what works for you and how to live on your own. An essential part of these adjustments is finding a schedule that works for you by managing your social, academic and work life. Most students\u2019 stress stems from social and academic pressure. A lot of us find that navigating our personal lives as well as our academic lives leaves us feeling drained and burnt out.<\/p>\n
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Mental health resources on campus can help provide essential support or improve personal and academic outcomes. Services such as counseling and psychiatric services can be valuable tools for students who may be experiencing issues. Crisis management and early intervention can be vital to some. FGCU provides students with these services through its Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)\u00a0 program.\u00a0They provide other services such as group therapy, online counseling, support groups and a crisis hotline in case of an immediate crisis.<\/p>\n
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While the CAPS program offers valuable services that are essential in providing support, with the increased rates of mental health issues, it\u2019s essential that our school continue to expand its resources.<\/p>\n
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As a student who has utilized these services, I would say they were sufficient for what I needed at the time. However, it took a long time for me to get an appointment and finally see my counselor. If I were experiencing a mental health crisis during the center\u2019s hours, there wouldn\u2019t be other options for help. As a student in my twenties, I wouldn\u2019t even know the first place to go if I were suffering a breakdown. The center only has one resource for those going through an active crisis and that\u2019s the emergency hotline. Besides that, there isn\u2019t much in place to help with a mental health crisis that could actively occur when the center is closed.<\/p>\n
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The center could improve this by putting in place around-the-clock care or extending its daily hours. This way there could be more appointments scheduled and counselors in the building to help with any crisis. The provided services are useful to many but may not be suitable for every situation.<\/p>\n
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Everybody\u2019s mental health journey is unique and personal to them. Nobody processes, reacts or heals in the same way. By expanding the mental health services provided, FGCU can ensure that students have the support and tools required to succeed personally and academically, because your mental health is more important than any college degree.<\/p>\n
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If you or a friend is struggling it\u2019s never too late to receive help. If you have a mental health crisis and not sure what to do call the suicide and crisis line at 988.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In college, you are faced with navigating new experiences during an incredibly unique transitional point in your life.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":43870,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[209,211,210],"class_list":["post-43869","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cape-coral","tag-cape-coral","tag-cape-coral-headlines","tag-cape-coral-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43869","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43869"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43869\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/43870"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43869"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43869"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43869"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}