College is the perfect time for exploration of the outside community as well as yourself, however, this comes often with dealing with issues alone. Mental health is a factor which gains a lot of focus, not just from the students, but from the university as well.
Mental well-being can be a tricky scope to maneuver, especially when you do not even know how to begin to address any problems or emotions you are feeling. Rates of depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation have hit an all-time rise, especially within the collegiate demographic. According to a survey in 2023 from a sample size of almost 100,000 students, about 44% of students had symptoms of depression, 37% anxiety, and 15%reported seriously considering suicide.
Already dealing with the multitude of issues that come with stepping into adulthood, university students should not have to deal with their emotions and well-being on their own. That is why there are usually counseling services or events available to college students. Resources are needed to help prepare them and to help manage their mental well-being on a serious note.
Tarleton State University has made it a mission to help address the rising issue of mental health problems by providing workshops, events, group/individual counseling sessions, and more. Their newest initiative being a resource application, TELUS.
“Our office collaborates with partners on Tarleton’s campuses and within the surrounding communities to help students reach services they’re seeking. Some common referral requests include academic support, food resources, and medical care. There are many resources that Tarleton students can access, and we make it our business to stay as current as possible with campus and community options. We offer consultation services to students who are interested in learning more about resources without signing up for therapy,” Tarleton State Assistant Director of Counseling Services, Shelby Rainwater, said.
TELUS is a free app accessible on Apple and Android products, as well as online, and offers resources to help students better understand their problems. The app also includes 24/7 real-time support, accessible to discuss your problems with a professional. This app does not replace any preexisting resources within the university, but the hope is that it can further the outreach of helping university students.
“Again, TELUS Health is provided to students at no cost to them and provides immediate access to mental health support. Students can talk to clinicians who can help them develop goals, or they can utilize the resource library to learn more about topics like living away from home, relationships, breakups, anxiety, depression, physical health, and so much more,” Rainwater continued.
In addressing, recommendations to help better your mental well-being, Rainwater included that in bettering your mental well-being, you must also better all other factors of wellness to best help yourself and others.
“It’s important to remember that emotional wellness is only one part of overall wellness. It’s a good idea to check in on how we’re doing in other areas too, like physical wellness, academic wellness, social wellness, etc. Taking a few minutes to think about what we’re grateful for or all that we’ve accomplished can be a great way to keep things in perspective,” Rainwater responded.
Everything is connected, the well-being of the body, the mind, the soul, and more come into mind when perspective is allowed in trying to seek help. Seeking help is not always as easy as it may seem. Some people cannot bring themselves to ask for help, and some do not know what to do when they find it. However, TELUS can be a good beginning in trying to help yourself and you can better understand yourself using it. Navigating mental health in college is not a swift journey, but one that is ever-changing for everyone, and being able to know and have resources to help you, can be the first step in knowing yourself.
If you or a loved one are seriously considering suicide, or at risk of hurting yourself or others, please contact (988).
For more information regarding TELUS and mental health, please visit www.tarleton.edu/counseling/,www.tarleton.edu/counseling/my-student-support-my-ssp/, and healthymindsnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/HMS_National-Report-2022-2023_full.pdf.
