The University of South Florida prizes itself in student diversity, academic achievement, and progressive impact on the local community as well as around the globe. Yet, hiding behind the shining light of success of over 42,000 students, lies thousands of students who suffer from mental illnesses and concerns
Mental health issues continue to grow around the world every year, especially for college students and people ages 15-24. According to ACHA-NCHA data for Spring 2016, a total of 11.4% of students surveyed (95,761) experienced tremendous stress over the last twelve months. Further, the data reports that 7.5% of students surveyed were diagnosed or treated by a professional within the past twelve months for two or more of the fifteen mental illness categories, excluding depression and anxiety, and 10.6% reporting for both depression and anxiety.
Probably the most terrifying piece of data reported was that 1.5% of students attempted suicide any time within the past twelve months. Mental health issues continue to devastate and hinder students' daily lives, from the agonizing struggle of getting out of bed to go to class to forcing yourself to eat, at least a little bit, to prevent starvation. Mental health issues are a significant issue here at USF, and us students cannot conquer them alone.
To get in touch with USF's Student Health Services Psychiatry Department, students must first be seen by a licensed counselor at USF's Counseling Center to further investigate and discuss students' concerns and mental health issues. USF's Counseling Center is located in the Student Services Center in room SVC 2124. All counseling services are free, confidential, and convenient; there are several counselors at the Counseling Center, and provide additional resources for students in need. These services include emergency walk-in appointments, after-hours call services, take-home resources that include how to cope with stress, reach mindfulness, and anger management, and a list of emergency hotlines for students in dire situations. Counseling sessions are offered in multiple settings, like group or individual, and outreach and prevention workshops are also offered to students.
Additionally, USF offers a program, Students of Concern Assistance Team, or SOCAT, which coordinates with USF administration as well as the Counseling Center, Student Health, Services, and a number of other resources to reach out to students who may be struggling or experiences a dramatic change in behavior. SOCAT works with students to develop an Action Plan, distributes resources to students in need, and checks on students throughout the process to certify a positive change in students during these processes. SOCAT promotes the utilization of referrals by anyone who notices a change in students' behaviors or moods, allowing concerned peers to be actively involved in the process of helping those who are struggling.
USF has a number of medical specialists and counselors on campus that students can see for mental health treatment. USF has a case manager (MA) that students may meet with to coordinate their medical and psychiatric care as well as provide additional community resources for further care and treatment. USF also has a registered dietitian (MPH RD) on campus that may help students with treating and overcoming eating disorders. For the treatment of ADHD, ADD, and other learning disabilities, USF provides students a specialized neuropsychologist (PhD, ABPP) that can help provide these students with learning disability testing, evaluations, and can coordinate treatment plans for prescription medication as needed, as well as coordination with the Students with Disabilities Center for academic accommodations. USF Student Health Services additionally provides students with several certified psychiatrists that are conveniently on campus as well. Thankfully, USF's on-campus pharmacy, Bulls Country Pharmacy, coordinates with Student Health Services for prescription refills and pickups.
All of this sounds phenomenal, except there are too many issues that students and USF administration either overlook or are simply unaware of.
For example, there simply aren't enough psychiatrists working in Student Health Services. Although this may be due to lack of funding to pay more psychiatrists or a lack of qualified potential employees in the Tampa Bay area (which is highly unlikely), us students suffer from this massive issue, and cannot always receive the treatment we need. Psychiatrists are overworked, and with only a handful of psychiatrists to treat students several hours a day, five days a week, there simply aren't enough appointment slots for the thousands of students that need to be seen by psychiatrists. Many students live on campus and do not have opportunities or modes of transportation to see psychiatrists outside of campus, and these students have to suffer for it.
I've personally had terrible experiences with the psychiatric services at USF. The psychiatrists were rushed, disinterested, and did not make me feel like a priority. Every student is a priority. Regardless of situation or concern. Period. No student should be turned away from attempting to receive the treatment they desperately need. Some students may come into Student Health Services with past history of psychiatric treatment, and some students may have never encountered mental health issues until just recently. Some students don't understand why they feel the way they do, what is wrong with them, or what they need to improve and recover. Students should not feel ashamed or guilty for this, it is the psychiatrist's duty to help students with these concerns.
USF's psychiatric services has turned students away, both intentionally and unintentionally, on too many accounts. These negative experiences impact students more heavily when they are already dealing with mental health issues, and psychiatrists need to fully understand that. USF's students matter. Every student matters.
Sometimes it is difficult for students to seek the treatment they truly require, and students often push their mental health and wellbeing to the side in order to focus primarily on their academics, work, internships, and even extracurriculars. Students have busy schedules, from three classes slammed in a row multiple days a week or needing to work long shifts every day at work to pay for basic necessities. It is often difficult for students to find time in their schedules to prioritize their mental health, especially due to mental health and illness often being socially stigmatized, taboo, and given a negative connotation. Students may even be fearful or anxious to seek help; sometimes students feel they're attacked or pressured into receiving help when they don't feel ready. Some students are confident, don't want help, and want to overcome their obstacles on their own, even when they need a little extra help; some students have had negative psychiatric experiences in the past, and are doubtful that any further treatment may be beneficial.
Every student's situation is different. Every student's needs are different. Every student's plan for treatment is different. Every student's level of comfortability is different. Every student is different, and every student matters.
Ultimately, too many students unfortunately do not seek or receive help for mental health issues, and continue to struggle with them every day. It is not uncommon for students to need psychiatric appointments on weekends or late nights, whether due to scheduling conflicts or emergency visitation. USF's Student Health Center Psychiatry Department as well as Counseling Center crucially need weekend appointment hours. Often students struggle during the time between appointments, even while taking prescription psychiatric medication or utilizing coping mechanisms. In dire circumstances due to mental illnesses, students may not be able to dial a hotline and hold a conversation or acquire enough energy to take a trip across campus.
What do students do then? Some students do not have, or do not feel they have, a support system that can accommodate their needs in situations like these, and students shouldn't have to suffer in the time between appointments when they need someone to talk to or have side effects from medications. Many of these situations could be prevented if appointments were offered on weekends or late at night.
USF students need to feel safe, understood, hopeful, and confident in their methods of treatment during these dynamic and demanding years in life. Students cannot succeed without the wholehearted efforts of USF administration. Together, us students at USF can help end the stigma of mental illness and unite to improve mental health services at USF and in our community. However, it takes everyone's efforts to create a positive change. Even simple efforts, no matter how small or insignificant you may think, adds up to a positive step forward in improving the lives and wellbeing of students who suffer from mental illnesses and disorders. Students should never feel alone in their fight for their mental wellness.
If you, or anyone you know, may be struggling with mental health concerns, please feel free to take advantage of these services:
Student Health Services: 813-974-2331, or SHS building
Counseling Center: 813-974-2831, or SVC 2124
Counseling Center After-Hours: 3-813-974-2831
Students of Concern Assistance Team (SOCAT): 813-974-6130
University Police: 813-974-2628, or 9-1-1
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
Hillsborough County Suicide & Crisis Hotline: 813-234-1234
Crisis Center of Tampa Bay: 813-964-1964, or 2-1-1
Florida Hospital Tampa: 813-971-6000
Center for Victim Advocacy and Violence Prevention: 813-974-5756, or SVC 1138
Students with Disabilities Services: 813-974-4309, or SVC 1133
Northside Mental Health Center: 813-977-8700
