Though most schools have mental health services, not all are created equal; the Jed Foundation wants to assess the services of different schools so that they can make informed suggestions to incoming college students who need or desire exceptional emotional support resources.
College can be a very stressful time—on the Holmes and Rahe Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS), going to college combines at least a half-dozen different stress-causing life events. And that’s before college even begins.
The Jed Foundation, a leading organization working to promote emotional health and prevent suicide among college students, announced yesterday the beginning of its new program, JedCampus. The goal of the program is to help universities enhance mental health promotion and suicide prevention programming on their campuses.
To do this, they will ask schools to do a voluntary, online self-assessment, which JedCampus can then compare to recommended practices listed in The Comprehensive Approach to Mental Health Promotion and Suicide Prevention on College and University Campuses, developed by The Jed Foundation and Suicide Prevention Resource Center. Schools will then receive private feedback to help them enhance their support services.
“College is a time of increased pressure when many students experience symptoms of emotional health issues like depression, eating disorders, substance abuse and self-injury,” said John MacPhee, Executive Director of The Jed Foundation. “JedCampus changes the landscape of college mental health by further defining how schools can support student emotional health in a comprehensive way, and helping those schools develop an actionable plan to make it happen.”
Over 50 schools have signed up so far to take the survey, and several leading higher education and mental health professional organizations have spoken in favor of this new program.
No school will be identified to the public unless they receive a JedCampus seal of distinction, an acknowledgement that lets incoming students know that their college has exceptional mental and emotional health support. For some students, this could make a large impact on their school choice.
“In the past year, 21.2 percent of college students received a psychiatric diagnosis or were treated for mental health issues such as depression or eating disorders, and an estimated 6.6 percent of students reported having serious thoughts of suicide,” said Dr. Victor Schwartz, Medical Director at The Jed Foundation. “By recognizing and creating a public database of colleges and universities with comprehensive mental health programs, the JedCampus initiative will aid families and students in the college selection process by identifying campuses with robust emotional support resources.”
If you are concerned that you or someone you know may be having suicidal thoughts, we urge you to seek help. In the U.S. and Canada, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-TALK (8255). In the U.K., call the Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90.
Photo: Felix Montino/Flickr
