The challenges faced by community college students compared to their “traditional” peers are well-documented. These learners are often older and derive from low-income or working-class backgrounds. They’re also more likely to be caretakers for children or aging parents, even as they’re the first members of their family to attend college.

These familiar obstacles can generate a less visible mental health crisis, posing a threat to a student’s academic progress and career prospects. Although the Covid pandemic aggravated the problem, demand for student mental healthcare has long exceeded on-campus capacity, said administrators and experts interviewed by Community College Daily.

The post-pandemic era has been about bolstering resources – not only wellness and counseling, but the wraparound services that themselves are preventative measures against stress. Given that “serving the whole student” is central to the community college mission, addressing deficiencies in mental health support is a clear priority, said Pam Eddinger, president of Bunker Hill Community College (Massachusetts).

“Our students are damn gritty and resilient – we have single moms with three kids and two jobs taking courses,” said Eddinger. “Students have such a strong image of themselves when it comes to withstanding stresses, but our educators must be advocates as well. We don’t get to sit back.”

Overcoming challenges

By most metrics, student mental health is worsening. According to the 2023 Community College Survey of Student Engagement, about 26% of enrollees are likely to have a depressive disorder, while another 32% have generalized anxiety disorder. Over half of respondents (56%) reported that emotional or mental health challenges affected their academic performance in the previous four weeks.

None of this surprises Eddinger, considering the unique set of circumstances preventing community college learners from academic completion. The pandemic both exacerbated these issues and put a spotlight on their harmful impacts to student mental health. A renewed civil rights movement, galvanized by the killing of George Floyd and similar events, added stress to students of color, who comprise 52% of Bunker Hill’s enrollment, Eddinger said.

Isolation, depression and financial-related pressures haven’t disappeared in the intervening years. Even virtual counseling services that emerged during Covid excluded students who couldn’t afford its pay-for-use model.

Bunker Hill is tackling these challenges through outreach, securing state innovation funding for an expanded counseling and wellness center that opened in February 2023. Strong ties with policymakers were key to opening the center, though true success relies on enhanced engagement with potential users, Eddinger said.

“It starts with kids knowing the help is there,” she said. “It’s hard to spot students in crisis, because there’s such a stigma around seeking help. And students are so buried in what they’re doing, they don’t think about reaching out to sources. Even small challenges can seem monumental, and it’s tougher with underserved populations. You have to be intentional, or else you may lose that connection.”

A sense of belonging

Bunker Hill’s mental health work centers on early intervention, led by a multi-disciplinary team of college and public safety officials. The college’s CARE Team (Campus Assessment, Response and Evaluation) receives reports of concerning behavior and then determines the best response, which may include counseling at the wellness center.

For example, a bipolar student who stopped taking their medication may be directed to the center, or external partners like the Mass General Brigham health system. While law enforcement is vital to mental health intervention, officials are committed to avoiding the criminalization of individuals in peril. In addition, students using the wellness center are supported under HIPAA privacy laws, ensuring those visits never become part of their academic record.

Openly acknowledging a problem is a critical first step, one complicated by a society that still treats mental health issues as taboo. Eddinger compares the stigma of mental well-being to food insecurity, noting that both issues bring a sense of shame to those seeking help. Students continue to rely on the campus food pantry, and Eddinger hopes to see comparable demand at the wellness center.

“The center is busy all the time, meaning people are using it,” Eddinger said. “It can’t provide 100% of all the help that’s needed, but at least students are being referred to it to the point where we are over capacity.”

There’s more to the story! Read the full article in CC Daily.