Fear, Tragedy and Youth Mental Health
The Mary Christie Institute mourns the loss of the innocent lives at the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. School shootings should be unimaginable, and yet they have become all too common. Mass shootings of innocent people, motivated by hatred and racism, should also be unimaginable and yet we heard the news of Uvalde yesterday while we are still reeling from the atrocity of the Buffalo, NY murders.
The reasons for the increase in depression and anxiety among our young people is still cause for much debate. Given the unrelenting terrorism that unfolds in what should be their safe spaces — schools, churches, local grocery stores — it is becoming harder and harder to say, however, that they are simply not resilient enough.
It should be no wonder that with this type of violence and more constant stressors such as climate change, political and global unrest, and racism, our youth feel anxious and fearful about the state of the world and their futures in it.
It’s past time to demand that our leaders address the issue of gun violence. We must also support and protect the mental and emotional wellbeing of our young people by increasing every effort to address the distress they are reporting, in schools, communities and colleges.
It is fair to talk about mental illness when a mass shooting occurs. However, when we blame gun violence on “mental illness” we avoid doing the hard work needed to make progress on gun control. And if we are going to talk about the role of mental health in mass shootings, let’s also talk about mental health in the aftermath. What is the cumulative toll that persistent gun violence is having on the mental health of an entire generation and how can we combat the negative consequences? It is our collective responsibility to find an answer to this question.
Mental and Behavioral Health
Main Stories
The Chronicle,
Higher Ed Dive, and
Inside Higher Ed report on the U.S. Department of Education’s announcement to use the remaining funds of the American Rescue Plan’s Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HERF) towards mental health in an effort to address the campus mental health crisis. Over $76.2 billion have been provided to colleges across the nation, including the CARES Act. The department has released
a guide on how to use the funds.
On the
Lumina Foundation’s podcast, Today’s Student, Tomorrow’s Talent, Dr. Zainab Okolo, Strategy Officer at Lumina, a licensed mental health practitioner, discusses the growing mental health crisis and its outsized impact on students of color. Later in the episode, Dr. Jo Blondin, president of Clark State College, highlights the way her institution supports students, staff, and faculty mental health through a culture of care.
The NCAA is publishing new survey results showing that rates of mental exhaustion, anxiety and depression are one and a half to two times higher than identified before the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey, conducted in the fall of 2021, included responses from over 9,800 student-athletes across the country. While a majority of respondents said they knew where to turn if they had a mental health issue, less than half said they would feel comfortable seeking support from a mental health provider on campus (48% female athletes and 46% male athletes, respectively). Recent suicides of college athletes has brought national concern to this issue.
Other News
The Daily Bruin reports on a student-designed course at the University of California, Los Angeles that examines mental health stigma in South Asian communities. According to the class syllabus, the class covers immigration, the model minority myth, intergenerational trauma, and mental health stigma.
In a two-part series on the mental health crisis among young adults, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch examines rises in suidice in Missouri and the causes behind it. According to data from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, from 2007 to 2018, suicides among young people in Missouri increased 85% — significantly higher than the national increase. And the Missouri Assessment of College Health Behaviors showed that suicidal thoughts have increased from 17% in 2016 to 25% in 2021.
As part of Mental Health Awareness Month, University of Michigan – Flint News is among many college newspapers providing information on what to expect at the Counseling And Psychological Services (CAPS).
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Diverse Education reports on autism and higher education in reference to Elizabeth Bonker, a non-speaking valedictorian from Rollins College who made headlines earlier this month after delivering a commencement speech with text-to-speech software. The College Autism Network (CAN) works to improve accessibility for college students with autism. “The most common misconception about autism is that the label of autism is synonymous with developmental or intellectual delays,” said Dr. Lee Burdette Williams, Executive Director of CAN.
Highlighting the experiences of two young people, the
Chronicle explores how students with disabilities make their decision about where to attend college. The students describe conversations with current students about accessibility concerns, negative experiences with disability support offices, and intangible “vibes” that some schools “don’t want you.”
Inside Higher Ed reports on new data regarding the Excelsior scholarship program. Aimed to serve middle- to low-income students from public colleges in New York, findings show the grant money serves mostly middle-class students. The report found that the scholarship application requirements were a barrier to completion for disadvantaged students. Only a quarter of the students received the scholarship funds, and the number for students of color were even lower.
Sexual Assault and Title IX
The Wall Street Journal and
The Washington Post report that the University of California must settle to pay $374.4 million for sexual abuse claims from hundreds of patients against former UCLA gynecologist James Heaps. The total payments of the UCLA scandal have surmounted to $688 million. “This is the latest in a long line of these types of cases,” stated Jennifer McGrath, an attorney representing former patients of Heap.
The New York Times and
The Washington Post report on the firing of a Princeton University tenured professor, Joshua Katz, after sexual misconduct investigations. Katz said he was targeted in response to a controversial essay that disapproved of faculty proposals to combat racism and for criticizing a campus protest organization. Princeton’s board of trustees voted to fire Katz for failing to detail a sexual relationship with an undergraduate student from a decade ago.
Student Success
Inside Higher Ed reports on new data showing that more young adults with college degrees are taking longer to get “good jobs.” According to research by Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce (CEW), most young adults get a good job by the time they are thirty compared to previous generations. CEW defines a “good job” as one that lets young adults be financially self-sufficient. Currently, 80% of those with bachelor’s degrees retain “good jobs” by the age of 35.
Inside Higher Ed reports on the latest Student Voice survey showing that students seek connections with their professors but rarely take the lead in initiating them. According to 2,000 undergraduates surveyed, 28% said they never visit professors during office hours, and 55% said they have only attended once or twice in a semester.
Higher Ed Dive reports on the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation working towards launching dual enrollment and early college programs. The Accelerate ED: Seamless Pathways to Degrees and Careers program will help students earn associate’s degrees within one year. In a partnership of a dozen organizations, the initiative will help students either transfer to a bachelors program or work towards employment.
Inside Higher Ed reports on summer tuition waivers for college students who fell behind during the COVID-19 pandemic. In efforts to increase enrollment for the fall semester, colleges are offering free and low-cost coursework. California State University at Fresno reports a fifth year trend of enrollment rising. The California State University System launched the Graduation Initiative in 2025 to help increase graduation rates for students from low-income backgrounds and students of color.
In an op-ed in the
Hechinger Report, Josh Wyner, founder and executive director of the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program and author of “What Excellent Community Colleges Do,” argues that to reverse plummeting enrollment, colleges must use new strategies to attract non-traditional students they have long-ignored, including community college transfers and working adults. He suggests that community colleges and four-year colleges should partner to increase the likelihood that a student will receive a bachelor’s degree, and ensure that their short-term certificates do lead to jobs with higher salaries.
College Affordability
The Chronicle and
Inside Higher Ed report on a new survey by the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators that shows amid staffing shortages, high turnover rates and reduced capacity, there is a growing concern about long term impacts, including institutions’ ability to serve students adequately while complying with federal and state regulations.
Inside Higher Ed reports that although President Biden has hinted that he’s considering a debt forgiveness plan, the administration has not provided details on the proposal or a clear indication of when it will be released. “It seems increasingly apparent that the Biden administration intends to announce some sort of loan cancellation or forgiveness effort, but there is absolutely no information available to help people understand even the most basic elements of what such a policy would look like,” said Terry Hartle, senior vice president of the American Council on Education. “There’s a great deal of confusion and uncertainty about what might happen.” Some higher education experts have expressed concern about the feasibility of a debt forgiveness, especially one that is means tested, calling for broad reforms of the student loan system.
The Washington Post published an analysis of who holds student debt. The fastest-growing groups of borrowers over the past two decades are Black students and people ages 50 and older.
