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Recent surveys have shown that students at colleges and universities across the country are reporting increased rates of depression, anxiety, and suicidal thinking. To confront these developments, Boston College has put in place a range of readily available resources for students experiencing mental health problems—many of whom are away from family and friends for the first time, managing challenging workloads, and dealing with disrupted sleeping, eating, and exercise patterns.

BC’s University Counseling Services (UCS) offers individual counseling and group therapies, same-day visits with professionals to help students cope with specific problems, and an emergency clinician available around the clock.

In March 2017, UCS launched  WellTrack, a secure and anonymous online tool and app that allows users to assess their well-being and quickly gain access to resources such as videos, relaxation exercises, mood-tracking tools, and written exercises to bolster their coping skills. Since its introduction, more than 1,700 students have used WellTrack.

In addition, the Division of Mission and Ministry provides pastoral counseling as well as a grief support group for students. The Undergraduate Government at Boston College (UGBC) coordinates an anonymous text line called Lean On Me, through which students can communicate anonymously with supportive peers. University Health Services, the Office of Health Promotion, and the Office of Student Outreach and Support Services also support students’ overall health and well-being.

“If parents could be behind their kids to encourage them to access the resources that do exist on campus, that would be really helpful.”
Lauren Schadt ’20, director of student initiatives, UGBC

Boston College Police Chief William Evans wants parents to know that his officers have received training on responding to mental health problems—something that they encounter on campus.

“Instead of the situation escalating, our officers are trained to be calming so the student can get the right care—whether it is an ambulance to come or to get them over to counseling,” Evans said.

Counseling Services Director Craig Burns suggests that a cluster of causes contributes to the increasing rates of psychological distress among college-aged students in the United States. “One piece is probably related to some reduced stigma; people feeling a little more comfortable to say they need help,” Burns says. “And that's a really positive thing.”

Burns points, too, to the social and political climate, the financial downturns that many students’ families experienced while they were growing up during the recent Recession, and what he describes as the “ubiquity of social media and smartphone-mediated communication.”

“It is entirely normal for there to be periods of distress, of anxiety, of low mood, of relationship conflicts, and of academic ups and downs in college,” said Burns. “Not all of those necessarily point to a need for clinical intervention. Much of it is helped through natural supports like family, friends, and the coping strategies that students have used throughout their lives. But when it becomes too severe, when it gets to the point of interfering with their ability to function within the University, that's where UCS stands as a support.”

With the many stresses present in the lives of college students, parents can help support their mental health by keeping in touch, promoting self-care, and sharing struggles they had when they were younger.

As Lauren Schadt ’20, director of student initiatives within the UGBC noted, “If parents could be behind their kids to encourage them to access the resources that do exist on campus, that would be really helpful.”

—Christine Balquist, University Communications

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