A mental health stigma often prevents students from seeking help while they try to juggle personal and academic stress.
Many students decline counseling and other forms of treatment for their mental health issues, despite the increasing number of schools offering free or minimally-priced counseling services. OCU offers students six to eight free counseling sessions from the counseling center. Students can expect to get an appointment within a couple days of calling, as there are three counselors on staff.
“Mental health stigma is a very real thing at this age,” University Counselor Lori Finley said. “Sometimes they are scared to admit that something is wrong because they might look around and see that everyone else is doing fine. So they are thinking ‘well, if everyone else is fine then I must be fine.’ ”
About 1,100 suicides happen on college campuses each year and the number is increasing, according to an article in The New York Times.
“It really is alarming,” Finley said. “And, to make it worse, these are young people who have this free service but might be afraid to use it.”
The stigma comes from students thinking they will be seen as weak or needy in their college life or future careers if they seek help for emotional issues according to the Center of Collegiate Mental Health.
OCU’s first-year experience started hosting sessions in Fall 2015 to deal with this stigma. The sessions teach students how to ask their peers questions if they notice signs of depression or anxiety. The sessions also show students how to directly ask questions about suicide or how to reach out for help for themselves or others.
“This is something that is so crucial to mental health on college campuses,” Finley said. “If a student feels they are supported in their decisions to seek counseling, then they are more likely to get the help they need.”
Finley said OCU counselors are seeing a slight increase in the number of students who seek counseling compared to years before.
One student said she thinks counseling is an important aspect to maintaining mental health.
“Counseling services is definitely a tool that is under utilized because of a stigma,” said Sarah Cason, psychology junior. “We need to break this stigma because our mental health is just as important as our physical health.”
Warning signs of depression include loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities, trouble sleeping, loss or increase of appetite, irritability, and isolation, Finley said. Signs of anxiety include worrying, intrusive thoughts such as doubt, irritability, trouble sleeping, tension in relationships, and inability to focus and concentrate.
“We see a rise in the number of students coming in due to depression and anxiety around midterms and finals time when the stress is higher,” Finley said. “But that does not mean that it goes away as soon as a student is done testing. If we feel they need more treatment, then we will do what we can to provide that or help find someone who can.”
For more information about university counseling or to schedule an appointment, call 405-208-5492.
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