Mandatory Mental Health Education

Mental Health and College Students:

Should Mental Health Education be Mandatory?

If someone asked “what is college like?” to a person who has never attended, they might answer that it is all drinking, partying, and late night study sessions. However, ask a student currently attending college and more often than not, they are going to answer “stress, anxiety, depression and drinking.” Mental illness is so common among college students, they now tend to ignore it or joke about it rather than actually deal with it. What can be done to combat dangerous mentalities and poor mental health literacy? Requiring every student in a public school to take a mental health education course. Similar to how students have to take physical education at some

The public’s general feelings towards mental illness comes from inadequate education and ignorance. Stigma from others and self-stigma can be a deterrent to any help-seeking behavior. Education could help overcome these stigmas. The Journal of College Counseling published a study in which researchers found of 847 first-year college students, “fifty-eight percent believed that there is stigma attached to using mental health services” (Rosenthal 199). Students should not think of negative stigmas when discussing mental health. This sort of adverse perspective on mental health prevents dialogue and discourages treatment. Another study indicates that social stigmas makes students 30% less likely to seek professional help (Cheng et al 69-70). When more than half of students associate mental health with stigmas, this directly affects their feelings towards receiving mental treatment. Mandatory mental health education will help dispel these mentalities and stop the spread of this toxic way of thinking. It is important that those who need professional assistance seek treatment when they need it. Sadly, a great deal of college students are in need of professional help to improve their mental health, despite refusing to admit

Even if more students are seeking help when they need it, there are still students who do not seek treatment, or deny treatment when offered. A survey of 847 first-year students found that when asked if they would seek counseling when experiencing emotional problems, only 20% of students would definitely seek help but 27% would outright refuse and 13% do not believe mental health treatment works (Rosenthal 198-199). Such disregard for mental health is a dangerous mentality. Those who need mental health treatment should not be swayed by stigmas and surrounded by discouraging dialogue that persuades them their mental health is unimportant. Mandatory mental health education would help those who may encounter mental illness later in life, prevent mental illness in others and encourage empathy and understanding in those who won’t deal with mental illness directly. Something else of note, mandatory mental health education would help reduce bullying on school campuses. The American program “Stop Bullying” states that children with mental illness are more likely to be bullied, or become bullies themselves. Educating children on mental illness with create a more sympathetic and nurturing environment. Even those with the opinion that the amount of mental illness cases are not rising should still support mandatory mental