Mental Health Transparency Should be a Consistent Policy
For The New York Times, author Emi Nietfeld describes her experience applying to college a dozen years ago and grappling with how much of her history with mental illness to disclose in her applications. Growing up in foster care and at times homeless, she battled several psychiatric diagnoses that led to her hospitalization more than once as a young teen. Rejected from Yale when she was upfront about her struggles and accepted at Harvard when she wasn’t, Nietfeld believes that universities tend to punish applicants like her for their pasts unless they can prove they’ve since transformed into “the perfect overcomer.”
In 2023, college hopefuls continue to strike any sign of mental health crisis from their applications, rather than risk being seen as a liability. Higher education leaders need to acknowledge the inconsistency, if not hypocrisy, of campus messaging that urges students to come forward with mental health issues while maintaining policies that discourage would-be students from doing so.
-MCI
Mental and Behavioral Health
A NPR investigation reveals that, in Pennsylvania, guards employed force with stun guns or pepper spray to compel prisoners who suffer from mental health conditions and may be incapable of following orders.
NPR also covers a Youth Public Health Ambassador program in Virginia, which prepares high schoolers from low-income families for careers in public health, including mental health.
In an op-ed for The Washington Post, author and professor Elliott Young condemns the initiative of New York Mayor Eric Adams to allow forced hospitalization of the mentally ill as a “project of social control.”
U.S. News highlights the long wait times children who experience mental health crises are currently encountering when they seek emergency help due to a lack of resources.
The Guardian features the results of a new study out of the UK that found that 80% of 18-21-year-olds are concerned about their body image. The authors cite the influence of social media.
Forbes contributor and artificial intelligence (AI) expert Lance Eliot explores the potential dangers of AI-powered mental health apps, particularly when it comes to chatbot functions.
Also in Forbes, Christopher Rim, CEO of Command Education, offers several tips for students awaiting college admissions decisions to reduce stress, including by finding time to rest and leaning on loved ones for support.
According to CNN, 20-year-old Princeton student Misrach Ewunetie, previously reported missing, was found on campus having died from suicide.
The Athletic describes how members of the Tulane University football team are taking advantage of virtual reality technology to heal from physical injuries as well as mental health issues.
The Associated Press finds a new law in Georgia requires insurance companies to report their mental health coverage practices in an effort to ensure no difference between their approach to mental and physical health care.
For The CT Mirror, Yale School of Public Health student Elizabeth Jadovich speaks out against the climate “doomism” which she says does not necessarily reflect reality but is harmful to young people’s mental health.
In The Connecticut Post, another Yale School of Public Health student, Mukund Desibhatla, homes in on the issue of mental health care for students of color, suggesting schools pursue socially and culturally informed mental health research.
Also in The Connecticut Post, Yale student Maya Tawil contemplates the implications of the current “youth mental health crisis” and proposes that the solution may lie in school staff, screenings, and other technology.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
The New York Times covers the imminent sentencing of William Rick Singer, who became infamous for scheming to help wealthy high school hopefuls gain admissions to elite institutions by falsifying their applications, including test scores and athletic abilities. While prosecutors are asking that the so-called “mastermind” serve six years in prison for his crime, Singer’s lawyers have requested six months, as the accused professes his remorse and the influence of childhood trauma on his actions.
After several top universities announced they would no longer cooperate with the U.S. News law school ranking process, The Washington Post says the media company has decided to modify its evaluation system. Following complaints that its approach favored high-paying careers over those in public service, U.S. News now plans to reward efforts to promote public service and pay less mind to reputation alone. Still, these changes may not be enough to win back the institutions that already withdrew.
In a Letter to the Editor, former Ohio State professor Harvey Graff decries in Inside Higher Ed the common use of “flawed data” to critique affirmative action. Graff suggests that, in a string of op-eds and reported pieces from different newspapers, writers are falling into the same “muddled, self-contradictory ‘what-aboutism’” to assert that race-conscious admissions practices harm Asian American applicants.
Student Success
The 74 reviews the recent findings of the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, projecting a worrisome future for women’s college enrollment, which dipped at more than twice the rate (3.2%) compared to men (1.3%) since 2020. With college enrollment declining across the country, Jonathan Malesic, a lecturer at the University of Texas at Dallas, argues in The New York Times that the “key” to college student success might be more straightforward than it seems: “a simple willingness to learn.” For The Chronicle, Jonikka Charlton, a dean of University College at the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley, urges schools to be able to adapt their advising approach to continually meet the needs of a changing student body.
According to The Wall Street Journal, chronic absenteeism is crushing schools of all sizes and income levels, including in states where enrollment rates have doubled since before the pandemic. As educators and legislators scour for solutions, U.S. News explores the benefits of early college high schools, where students graduate with not only a high school diploma but skills tailored for jobs in the tech industry. In Massachusetts, WBUR says Governor Charlie Baker is betting on this approach to bolster graduation and employment rates, funding six-year-long early college programs to help high schoolers also earn an associate’s degree or industry credits.
Sexual Assault & Title IX
Cal Matters considers how President Biden’s proposed Title IX changes, which would prohibit discrimination on the basis of not only sex but gender identity and sexual orientation, could help safeguard the education of trans and nonbinary students. In states like California, where some protections are already in place, making the law more explicit may make queer students’ rights easier to defend, but advocates add that creating a safe environment will require efforts beyond simply enforcing anti-discrimination.
College Affordability
The latest federal budget allocates millions to higher education programs, as well as a $500 increase for Pell Grant awards. Yet Inside Higher Ed suggests the funding came short of what the Biden Administration and advocates requested, including for loan forgiveness. The Washington Post captures student debt in disarray, not only because the president’s relief plan remains up in the air but because one loan authority has racked up thousands of complaints in mere months for mishandling a public service forgiveness program.
Campus Saftey
After four University of Idaho students were fatally stabbed near campus in November, anxiety levels rose when police were unable to quickly identify and apprehend a killer. Two months later, The New York Times reports that a suspect, 28-year-old criminology student Bryan Kohberger, is in custody. Despite the arrest, unrest continues to brew, The Times reveals, given Kohberger appeared to have no other motive other than to commit a crime.
