Universities, once struggling to keep up with the surge in demand for counseling during the pandemic, have since scaled up their support services. As a result, more students are asking for help.
The Supreme Court's rulings this summer had strong implications for a recent survey by TimelyCare. More than half of students reported stress or anxiety around its decisions on striking down affirmative action (53%) and denying Biden's student loan forgiveness (60%). Students submitted responses in July 2023, when the rulings were still top of mind.
These survey results come two weeks after the U.S. Surgeon General testified before a Senate Health, Labor and Pensions Panel advising social media to be given a warning label due to its contribution to youth mental health becoming “the defining public health issue of our time.”
Skill-training strategies, such as mindfulness, boast consistently positive evidence of improved social-emotional skills. Gatekeeper training, however, needs another look.
Allowing stressed students to regulate themselves and, in some cases, utilize their smartphones to assess their own issues has encouraged even those who have not seen a healthcare provider in months to partake of the self-care services.
