Formal Research Proposal
Should SUNY New Paltz require at least one therapy session for students during their first semester?
I’ve decided to write about the importance of therapy, especially with college students that are new to the school. As one of the very few out-of-state students, I don’t know anybody on campus. No one from my area decided to go here, so I have no one familiar here. I also don’t have any family near here, so I am completely alone. I am someone who prefers being in an environment where I always know where I am, so being in a completely new area is terrifying for me, and having a mandatory therapy session to talk about how I am doing so far would really help. I have a hard time reaching out for help, so a mandatory session would really help with getting me started with that.
Not only that, but in general, mental health is an extremely important topic. Students figuring out a new environment while doing coursework can often lead to mental exhaustion. Mental health is something that used to never be spoken of and is just now becoming more common to talk about. Still, most people shy away from the topic. However, as a student, it is very common to experience burnout or other mental health problems. These problems would not be easily solved by a single therapy session, but having at least one session can help students realize how helpful therapy is and make them more comfortable with scheduling a session. Not to mention, we are living through a global pandemic. The changes from constantly being inside for a year to going outside and in person for the class are astronomical. As someone who stayed inside for over a whole year with very few exceptions, it has now become terrifying to be around large groups of people. Students are dealing with that on top of learning and potentially working, which can be very draining. Going to therapy and talking about your feelings and what is going on inside your head can really help with adjusting to the new way of living.
Leading research question:
Should there be mandatory therapy sessions for incoming students?
Related questions:
Why are therapy sessions important for incoming students?
How would mandatory sessions affect students’ mental health and grades overall?
Most, if not all, of my friends have gone to therapy, and all of those that have gone have reported highly positive experiences. Personally, I’ve never gone as I am still on my mom’s health insurance, and she wouldn’t approve, but it is something I plan on doing. Therapy is often portrayed in a negative light in the media, especially when I was growing up. This produces a belief among people that only “crazy” or “insane” people go to therapy, and thus they don’t want to go themselves. If there was a mandatory therapy session, they might go and realize that therapy is for everyone and that they could benefit from going.
I am planning on interviewing my friend, Caileigh Sawyer, about her experience as another student without anyone she knows here and how therapy would be beneficial. Being able to talk about how isolating and lonely it is to someone would really help. I also have a couple of other friends that would be willing to talk about their relationship with therapy and how it helped them manage their own mental health while at college.
Links:
Impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of US college students
A report from a psychology journal that discusses the effects of COVID-19 and everything that came with the pandemic on the mental health of college students.
A report from a psychiatry journal that covers how psychological services that best help college students with their mental health rely on understanding a college student’s daily life, struggles, and timeline.
The impact of self-esteem and social support on college students’ mental health
An article from a health studies journal about the results of a survey examining the impact of self-esteem and a good social support system on college students’ mental health.
College mental health needs rising
A brief article from a leadership journal with statistics on how few churches discuss mental illness (can be used to discuss the stigma against mental health).
An article from the University Business journal about how college services for mental health are struggling to keep up with a rise in mental health crises on campuses.
Mental health service providers: college student perceptions of helper effectiveness
A report from The Professional Counselor journal about how effective college students view the six types of mental health service providers.