Since the Virginia Tech tragedy there have been a handful of reports and initiatives on college mental health. Most of the reports cite ways that campuses can improve safety and mental health among students. A recent report by the Departments of Justice, Education, and Health and Human Services highlighted similar issues, but surprisingly stopped short of requesting increased funding.
As someone who works in a university counseling center, I think that increased funding for staff positions and outreach projects could significantly improve the overall health of students, and could be a protective factor not only in preventing tragedies like those at Virgina Tech, but also crises like suicides and relationship violence. I hope that the recent focus on these issues leads to a new understanding of the role of campus mental health centers and the necessity that they are well funded.
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Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 21 Jun 2007
Published on PsychCentral.com. All rights reserved.
Meek, W. (2007). Mental Illness on College Campuses. Psych Central. Retrieved on February 14, 2012, from http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2007/06/19/mental-illness-on-college-campuses/

