Courtesy of Kelsey Knox.
Mental health issues are often overlooked and not discussed enough within Black culture at universities, but students are determined to bring about change. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, “73% of students encounter a mental health crisis during their college years”. The stigma around mental health, along with the lack of counselors and resources, has made it hard for Black students to get the help and support they need. Florida A&M University students know these struggles all too well.
Tyjah Tuggle, a senior facilities management student, is passionate about mental health and offers suggestions for improving students’ well-being.
“I think FAMU could improve its mental health support by providing students with more access to resources and making those resources better known”, said Tuggle. “For example, having an academic coach, being able to reach out to the FAMU therapist, and actually promoting and publicizing these services—just like they do with parties—would make a big difference”.
FAMU’s counseling center is understaffed and struggles to handle the large number of students at the university. As a result, many students’ mental health needs go unnoticed due to the limited availability of in-person appointments.
“I remember trying to get an appointment during my sophomore year, but no one ever got back to me. FAMU needs to ensure that when they promote these resources, students can actually access and use them, said Tuggle”.
Winston Edgerton, a sophomore music education student says that, “famu should increase the amount of personnel in the Cass building”, to ensure that students have availability in appointments.
Just like FAMU, many universities are facing staffing shortages, leading to higher levels of anxiety, depression, and even suicide among students. In response, the National Education Association has sent letters to universities around the world asking them to hire more mental health professionals, especially those from diverse backgrounds.
According to the NEA, about two-thirds of college students have reported that they’ve felt “very sad” and about a third of college students have “felt so depressed that they couldn’t function,”.
To support students’ well-being at FAMU, Eyana Dixon, a senior business administration student, suggests that FAMU should implement a mental health day.
“I would like to see the university grant a mental health day pass that the students could use. Just as students are allowed three unexcused absences, I think every student should have one mental health day pass per semester. This would allow them to take a day off for their mental well-being, similar to a ‘life happens’ pass” said Dixon.
Tuggle agrees, saying that adding this would show real concern for students’ mental health. “They should have an event similar to convocation where all students are invited to learn about mental health and available resources, not just for freshmen but for sophomores, juniors, and seniors too”, said Tuggle.
Mental health issues are a real concern among college students and universities needs to improve by hiring more staff to make sure students have resources they need for their mental health. For more information about FAMU’s counseling services, visit the Office of Counseling Services in Suite 304 of the CASS Building.