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Hannah Flores

Mr. Keaton Powers

English 1302

11 April 2023

University Mental Health Institutions are Ineffective

The controversial impact university mental health services have on the mental wellbeing

of students has been determined to be a significant factor in their education. At times, many

believe that the institution’s methods are effective in outreaching to the students who are in dire

need when experiencing an isolated and lonely time at a university. University outreach, on the

other hand, fails to provide proper mental health depression measures to help their own college

students who experience depression, as well as a lack of culturally diversified services on

campus. Since there are not enough culturally diverse mental health professionals on campus to

discuss the discriminatory consequences of college life, the lack of suitable resources on campus

to engage with Latino and Black students has an exponential influence, instilling the same in

future generations. Shengyu Guo, Feiyue Liu, and Jing Shen contend that given the frequency of

depressed college students nowadays, "many students have acquired low expectation perceptions

about themselves and their education throughout the collegiate level experience" (2). The lack of

mental health services on campuses does not allow students a place to discuss their despair.

Additionally, on campus education has proven to be immense to college students' mental health

as Zhang et al. argues, “Universities are the epicenter of depression, and the frequency of

depression among college students is significantly higher than that of the general population”

(120). Furthermore, the resources on the TAMIU campus urgently require systematic review to
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address how they are affecting students on campus. In order to combat elevated levels of

depression among its population of Black and Latino students, TAMIU must hire mental health

professionals on campus. Given the negative consequences of universities being unable to fulfill

their college students with sufficient mental health treatment for depression, it represents a

setback not only for the students concerned but also an essential requirement in the growth of

resources for on-campus education.

An urgent improvement of mental health facilities on campus is necessitated by the high

prevalence of depression among college students on campus amidst the significant changes in

life that occur during the university years. According to Heyam F. Dalky and Assel Gharaibeh

“depression is the number one mental health issue in university settings,” resulting in “increased

demand for counseling services provided by highly certified and trained professionals” (206).

Although students must take responsibility for their own mental health and seek out resources

when needed, universities have a responsibility to provide accessible and effective mental health

resources to their students. Dalky and Gharaibeh argue that “The majority of students entering

university are between 18 and 21 years old, and, at this stage, dramatic changes in life are

occurring resulting in depression” (206). Because of the high incidence of depression in this age

range, depressed college students at TAMIU experience significant changes in their lives on their

own. Due to the emphasis on academics and the establishment of the study and life balance,

depression rates grow in the college context, which can be lonely and isolating. Yet, the negative

impact of depression on students’ lives can be reduced by universities like TAMIU through

acknowledging the prevalence of depression in college students.

Current depression among students on campus has been led by a lack of understanding

of available mental health facilities at TAMIU. Since mental health is a persistent concern on
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campus, particularly depression, students at TAMIU find difficulty reaching out to resources that

do not prioritize them first. In the same regard, students experiencing depression have not yet

been addressed by mental health programs since they appear to be unaware of resources for

mental health concerns and psychological therapies that prevent the negative-linked

consequences that come with it. Negative coping mechanisms such as sleep deprivation

describes the psychological distress already experienced in college campus’s themselves,

however with the element of depression experienced by TAMIU students the use of social

services on campus can reduce the amount of depressed college students by advocating for

mental health and assessing student's needs. Moreover, the importance of being educated about

the significance of seeking help when experiencing mental health challenges needs to be

emphasized to students at TAMIU.

Significant barriers to accessing adequate treatment for college students are presented by

the cultural norms and stigmas surrounding mental health care in Black and Latino communities.

According to Princess Udeh, discrimination and cultural indifferences experienced by Black

college students in institutions like TAMIU, "puts them under pressure on both a racial and an

academic level, interfering with their mental health"(89). Additionally, Black students who

encounter racism, imposter syndrome, and cultural adversity frequently turn to university

institutions' resources, but because "Black college students’ perceptions of mental health care are

affected by cultural and familial norms regarding help-seeking," these individuals do not feel

welcome in university resources to discuss cultural differences (90). Cultural obstacles prevent

students from seeking treatment due to the cultural belief that mental health challenges indicate

weakness. Further studies indicate that Latino academics are similarly impacted by the cultural

norm of suppressed emotions, which hinders students from seeking aid. For example, Ashley L.
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Merianos’ and fellow colleagues argue, “"The cultural stigma experienced by Hispanic family

members is associated with mental health help seeking behaviors, which may lead to

underutilization of such services” (81). More than ever, the majority of Latino scholars that

attend TAMIU repress their feelings due to the cultural norms inflicted upon them by both

psychological and academic distress in university institutions. The underutilization of mental

health resources at the University of TAMIU is caused by the stigma of the culture due to the

influence of Black and Latino students’ cultural backgrounds, resulting in the university not

having enough mental health services for students. The study of Udeh and Merianos et al.

illustrates how representation in institutional mental health programs leads to the discriminatory

sensations that students globally feel in response cultural norms experienced in Black and Latino

communities. Evidently, the resources on college campuses are inefficient due to the lack of

adequate mental health treatment that breaks the barrier of cultural normality experienced on

campus by Black and Latino students.

More students experience the collegiate support needed if academic institutions, like

TAMIU, allow access to mental health professionals on campus since accessibility is crucial to

mental health. In Kate Paton's and peers' observation, doctors concur that improving access to

mental health services is advantageous for the educational system and the mental health of

students in university systems (Paton et al. 6). With the use of on campus professionals, TAMIU

students have the opportunity to communicate with individuals that are equipped with the proper

training to diagnose mental health illness and relieve college students from the depression and

psychological strain school can have. Rosie Mansfield and her coworkers claim that "new policy

directions in England call for schools to play a stronger part in promoting and protecting

children's and teens' mental health” (Mansfield et al. 1622). Mansfield suggests that “more has to
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be done to enhance the mental health services offered in schools," emphasizing the focus on

England’s targeted interventions for teenagers who have previously been classified as troubled or

experiencing problems as increasingly improved by easy access to students (1629). Research

shows that the use of on-campus mental health professionals can have a significant positive

impact on the mental health of students and manage mental health and academic demands

furthering graduation rates, particularly at TAMIU. Furthermore, in order to enhance help-

seeking behaviors and raise attitudes toward supporting people who are coping with mental

health concerns, Kristian Low and colleagues add upon the previous study by demonstrating how

interventions in mental health education aid in easy access to universities institutions. The lack

of accessibility in institutions with lower academic standards appears to be indicated by the

accessibility in the connections between university students and Low and peers' study (Low et al.

167). The influence that easy access to mental health services has on students highlights the

significance for the usage of medical professionals in university environments and promotes

attitudes to support those individuals experiencing mental health concerns.

To achieve optimal mental health effectiveness at TAMIU, students must have easy

access to expert mental health care through a paid psychiatrist. With one of the largest donations

in history of forty million dollars from Mackenzie Scott, access to TAMIU mental health

resources should not be limited, but rather expanded. As of December 2020, Dr. Pablo Arenaz

describes the contribution of funds as a "defining moment for the University" (TAMIU Named

Recipient of Historic $40 Million Gift). TAMIU’s primary response should be to safeguard

college students' cognitive wellbeing, as these are critical years of education building. Instead,

the resources will be used to expand the campus with new complexes and buildings, rather than

properly utilizing the necessary means for TAMIU students to flourish. It is crucial for mental
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health care for students to be prioritized by universities to support student success and achieve

institutional growth. While it is true that more students are attracted and retained by a successful

institution, which leads to increased enrollment and revenue, it is equally important that students

are supported in all aspects of their well-being, including mental health. Despite arguments from

some critics that students should “suck it up” and that those who cannot drop out, it must be

recognized by universities that supporting mental health should be given top priority. By doing

so, an environment that promotes academic success and personal growth with a psychiatrist on

campus can be fostered by universities, leading to a more sustainable and thriving institution in

the long term. The academic and future success of generations to come is based on TAMIU's

university health institution and professional support because of social isolation and depression

students feel on campus. Because not addressing mental health as a young adult immensely

damages a college student's maturation process, Texas A&M International University should

make mental health services a priority response to encourage students to seek treatment in a

collegiate setting to truly prioritize the students' academic success at TAMIU.

Ultimately, university institutions play a crucial role in the fundamental development of

college students, and they are expected to cater to the mental health needs of their students. With

the understanding of depression on campus, and the crucial stage in life students experience

through college, universities must adapt the mental health resources provided on campus. The

lack of culturally diverse mental health professionals to discuss the unique challenges faced by

Latino and Black students, and help them to overcome the cultural stigmas around mental health

that they experience, negatively affects the mental health services that universities must provide

to ensure equity in providing for student success. Additionally, the decline of mental health

services on campuses has produced an ongoing norm for college students’ disparaging
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environment, and on campus education has proven to be immense to college students' mental

health. Texas A&M International University has the responsibility to expand their resources with

access to a paid psychiatrist on campus, further improving students' academic success as they

navigate through the challenges of college.

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Works Cited

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