Stress and anxiety are nothing new on college campuses. But recent studies and indicators show that student mental health is declining at an alarming rate, and Montana colleges are taking steps to address it.
Beginning this fall, the University of Montana at Billings hopes students will do the same with new treatment options that have been used for years to treat veterans and their families.
Horses Spirits Healing, a non-profit equine therapy program, offers a limited number of students the opportunity to work with therapy horses as a form of treatment for anxiety and depression. The goal is to develop a new sense of mental health while building a new sense of community that may have been previously lacking.
“It creates common ground to go home and talk about,” said program director Amanda Tassler. “It helps them gain strength and confidence.”
The goal of expanding mental health care options is just one of several new initiatives at Montana colleges. Last week, MSUB and the Montana State Board of Higher Education, in partnership with the University of Montana System Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Task Force, hosted his three-day mental health and wellness summit to address the mental health of students. .
“College campuses are facing an unprecedented mental health crisis,” said Dr. Sasha Chow, Wayne State Professor and Summit keynote speaker. “Many of you have probably seen this firsthand among students at your own school, but research shows that mental health problems among college students have increased by nearly 50% over the past decade. I’m here.
increased concern
In response to growing awareness of college students’ mental health struggles, the Montana Higher Education Commission Office created the Suicide Prevention Task Force in 2015. Initially, they found that many of the preventive approaches that can be implemented also apply across mental health. and happiness.
“In the intervening seven years, I think these concerns have only grown,” said Crystine Miller, director of student affairs and student engagement at the Higher Education Commission. What we are telling you is that it continues to influence student retention and those who ultimately earn their degrees.”
Spring 2022, American College Health Association National College Health Assessment (ACHA NCHA), students reported anxiety, depression, sleep disturbances, and stress.A non-profit organization that promotes mental health active mind reports that 39% of college students experience significant mental health problems and that suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people. The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services reports 45,979 suicides for her nationally in 2020, making Montana the top five in suicide rates for all age groups in Montana for the past 40 years. increase.
While many of the issues facing students today, such as anxiety, depression, trauma, and family separation, are not new, state-campus faculties are facing social media pressures, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the current rate of inflation. , reported that generational factors such as the cost of living had an impact. A large part of student mental health in recent years.
Another trend reported across the summit was the de-stigma of discussing mental health and increased student engagement. Students were surveyed on symptoms such as sleep, exercise, and financial status, rather than questions directly addressing conditions such as depression and anxiety.
“Starting with a student needing to drop out of class would turn into a bigger conversation,” said Suzanne Forrester, a Western academic advisor at the University of Montana. Sometimes they would shed tears because of it.”
In addition to student challenges, there is a shortage of trained faculty and staff to handle mental health issues. Citing a faculty survey conducted across the university last spring, Zhou said that 80% of his university faculty members had one-on-one discussions with students about mental health and how they perceived emotional distress. He reported knowing only 50%.
Forrester said her campus senses this tension of enough professionals with available staff to have similar encounters.
“We only have one counselor here, but we’re fully booked for weeks,” she said. “So our faculty has tried to pick up the slack to fill that role and fill those gaps.”
Community creation
A key lesson from the summit was to redirect the focus of mental health treatment as a public health crisis rather than an individual crisis. Representatives from the University of Montana System and experts from the University of Montana were present to recognize and advance rapid solutions.
Suggestions include incorporating available mental health resources into the class syllabus, continuing research to address current and evolving trends, identifying mental health distress and providing early intervention without clinical care. This includes subjecting professors and instructors to and developing a “gatekeeper” program for the intervention or referral of Off-campus local partnerships to enhance services.
“All of these people are in the room and at the table because we all have a role in helping mental health and student development,” Miller said.
Universities with a shortage of counselors on campus, such as Great Falls College MSU, have begun partnering with local counselors within their communities. Meanwhile, the University of Montana offers a wellness program for stress reduction, and Montana State University in Bozeman now has an institution wellness program. Development for students.
At MSUB, Horses Spirits Healing already offers a different approach to mental health services. Originally started to treat veterans, the program reduces the patient’s heart rate and stress levels while helping them bond with their animals and engage in regular routines such as riding and caring for their horses. It has become widely accepted due to its effectiveness in developing a physical routine.
Because the horse can sense the mood and emotions of the rider, the patient gains the strength, stability, and confidence needed to ride effectively, which translates into daily life.
“Horses don’t lie,” said Tassler. “So it acts like a vessel for the patient, rather than traditional sofa therapy.”
The program will accept a limited number of applicants through the end of October and will last for eight weeks. Six students are partnered with two horses throughout the program with school counselors on staff to intervene as needed and provide regular therapeutic benefits.
The program has been so successful in bringing together local veterans, families and organizations, and MSUB hopes to be able to do so for its students as well.
“Target [with the new program] It’s about creating a sense of community,” said Tasler. “Ultimately, our students will hopefully create new friendships, new connections, and more life skills to carry on.”
