Image of library shelves full of books.

Source:

Gabriel, Trip. “College Mental Health Needs Rising.” Leadership Journal, vol. 32, no. 2, spring 2011, p. 54. Gale Academic OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A256172770/AONE?u=nysl_se_sojotru&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=a23111e2. Accessed 27 Sept. 2021.

Summary:

In Trip Gabriel’s brief article “College Mental Health Needs Rising,” published in Leadership Journal in 2011, Gabriel goes over the increasing trend in terms of mental health issues among university students and the unfortunate lack of discussion regarding mental health in churches. According to the American College Counseling Association’s survey in 2010, universities are seeing a rise in mental health problems with their students. Out of all university students, almost 33% said they have been too depressed to function within the past year. Out of the students who seek counseling, 44% had severe psychological disorders. This statistic, compared to the 16% in a 2000 survey, shows a rapidly rising trend of mental health disorders. Gabriel also discusses the lack of mental health mentions in church. Statistics from a survey conducted by the journal in 2010 show that 29% of survey takers reported never hearing mental illness mentioned in sermons at all and 79% reported having mental illness mentioned three or less times a year (Gabriel 54). 

Evaluation/Reflection:

Leadership Journal is a Christian journal, which would make me hesitant in other situations, but when discussing the amount of times a pastor brings up mental illness in their church, a survey put out by a Christian journal is indeed more likely to get reliable responses from the common church goer. The initial data regarding the rising trend of mental health crises will be useful as it does show that times are changing and how mental health is negatively impacted because of it. The statistics on the lack of discussion about mental illness will help support my argument about the need for at least one mandatory therapy session for incoming students as it shows how little people talk about mental health in public settings. This lack of discussion can lead people to be more hesitant to reach out for help with their mental health, and a mandatory therapy session could help them realize how helpful and beneficial they are. They could also help potentially lessen the amount of mental health crises throughout universities as they could potentially help prevent one from happening in the first place by helping students develop a support network.

Source:

Lee, Jenny, et al. “Impact of COVID-19 on the Mental Health of US College Students.” BMC Psychology, vol. 9, no. 1, 8 June 2021, p. NA. Gale Academic OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A665425013/AONE?u=nysl_se_sojotru&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=86fc14ee. Accessed 27 Sept. 2021.

Summary:

In the report “Impact of COVID-19 on the Mental Health of US College Students,” Jenny Lee and her team surveyed college students about their physical and emotional health as well as the social impact of COVID-19. This report was published in the journal BMC Psychology on June 8, 2021, just after many college students graduated after their first year of quarantine. Many students reported feeling lonely (54.1%), anxious (60.8%), and depressed (59.8%). A significant amount of the increased anxiety was centered around worrying over the health of loved ones, being able to continue their education, and finances. The difficulty of “[holding] it together knowing the world as we once knew it is no longer existence” seemed to be a general consensus among students (Lee et al.). However, some students did not feel any significant impact from COVID-19 on their mental health. Overall, most students found their mental health declining during the first year of quarantine, despite the efforts to take care of their mental health at home.

Evaluation/Reflection:

The survey conducted used a fraud-protectant AI to prevent anyone from submitting twice to rig the survey. While its age parameters could be expanded as not all college students are between 18 and 24 years of age, those are the most typical ages for college students. The statistics in this report show the need for therapy sessions among college students as they show the rising trend in mental health crises, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic hit the US. Not only will those statistics help, but the quotes from students about how they’re feeling in the midst of a pandemic also help show the way mental health has been so negatively impacted.