The Ball State Counseling Center saw an increase in the number of students seeking help in fall 2019 and then a decrease in fall 2020. Ball State University / Facebook
National studies show mental health problems have increased as a result of the coronavirus pandemic – and more among college-aged people. But, college counseling centers have seen a decline in the number of people seeking services at the same time.
The American Psychological Association has conducted annual mental health surveys since 2007. During the pandemic years, it showed that while all ages of people had increased stress due to COVID-19, the numbers were highest. in people of university age.
Bill Betts heads the Ball State University counseling center.
“When you take this and look [Generation] Z, who are our students, 45% of Gen Z adults said they did not know how to deal with the stress they are feeling from the coronavirus. And it’s this year, it’s this fall, ”Betts said.
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He said that despite the increase, the Center for Collegiate Mental Health at Penn State found that, in a national survey, college counseling centers saw an average 32% drop in the number of students seeking care. ‘help in fall 2020. The Ball State center, itself, saw a 25 percent drop.
Betts said the increase in telehealth has made it possible for some students to stay with their therapists at home. But there were other reasons as well.
“In fact, some students told me this: they felt their concerns weren’t serious enough. And so what they said was, ‘Look, I haven’t had COVID. No one in my family died. And so, yeah, I’m in pain and I’m unhappy, but I don’t want to take the place of someone else who really needs this service, ”Betts said.
Ahead of the 2019 pandemic, Ball State saw a 40% increase in the number of students seeking help at the start of the school year. Betts says the average number of therapy sessions per student has also increased.
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