In recent years, university-wide funding shortages for mental health care services have threatened the care available to University of California students, including those treated by UCLA’s Student Psychological Services.
Though SPS received additional funding from the UC Board of Regents in 2007, which allowed for an increase in permanent staff, SPS Clinical Director Elizabeth Gong-Guy said there is still insufficient staff to handle the UCLA population, sometimes resulting in long waits for appointments.
“We were, system-wide, the subject of some fairly intense scrutiny because mental health needs were not being fully addressed on campus. We are much closer to where we need to be … but still a ways off from what would be appropriate for our size campus,” Gong-Guy said.
SPS has responded by implementing group counseling programs, drop-in hours where students can show up without an appointment and various other workshops around campus, including in the dorms. But regardless of how good the programs are at addressing student needs, unless proper outreach is used to inform students about what it means to receive mental health care, services will not be able to adequately reach the high number of students who report mental health problems.
Outreach may put a further strain on SPS, but rather than adjusting to a broken system, SPS should explore new options, such as working closer with the Ashe Center and establishing a general-purpose student health center in on-campus housing. The stressful university environment, coupled with stigmas about psychological care, make outreach especially crucial.
Despite the fact that students may suffer for months or years from problems such as depression, anxiety or stress brought on by the rigors of college life, they are often hesitant to seek attention or are doubtful it will help, according to psychology professionals. According to a 2006 report, 45 percent of UC Berkeley students reported experiencing extreme emotional problems over a one-year period that inhibited their academic performance and general well being.
These numbers are similar UC-wide, and are often reported at higher rates for first-year and graduate students. One way that SPS may better reach students is by collaborating with the Ashe Center to ensure that no students fall through the cracks.
Because Ashe treats a broader range of health needs, students are more familiar with it and would likely seek help there first as it lacks the “social stigma” of SPS. Currently, if students log on to the Ashe Center Web site to make an appointment, they do not have an option to seek psychiatric care. And if they describe such symptoms in the box marked “other,” they are likely to be turned away by Ashe clinicians.
One UCLA student named Ashley, who asked to have her last name withheld, booked an appointment at the Ashe Center online for stress-related learning difficulties, only to be handed an SPS brochure and turned away once she showed up for the appointment, as they were not best equipped to serve her needs.
“I didn’t end up making it to (SPS) until six months later when things had gotten worse. … I just wish that I could have been directly referred when I made the appointment, or before I showed up in person,” she said.
Another way that SPS can reach out to more students is by creating a general-purpose student wellness center in on-campus housing where students could regularly drop in for help and get answers to their questions. Though SPS already has workshops on the Hill, by joining forces with other campus resources such as the Ashe Center and the Center for Women and Men, SPS would be able to inform students who may are unfamiliar with SPS or uncomfortable going there about the services offered.
General Representative Michelle Lyon of the undergraduate student government has pushed for the creation of such a center. The Office of Residential Life has responded positively to the idea, though a space has yet to be found.
“It’s important to have these resources close to home, especially for first-years, who may not even know about health resources located all over campus. … They may not even know what the “˜SPS’ stands for,” said Lyon.
The UCLA community must do everything in its power to reach out to students struggling with psychological issues. Though this may cause strain on SPS, the 2006 report noted that students with outside health care coverage can be referred to other clinical centers for treatment, which they often prefer. And if the number of students seeking help continues to grow, the UC will have no choice but to provide further funding for them, as it did in 2007.
Because though it may be difficult to accommodate students, it’s important that every student dealing with mental health problems is aware of the help that psychological services can provide.
Students can schedule an appointment at SPS by calling 310-825-0768 or by showing up for drop-in counseling. Send general comments to bnoble@media.ucla.edu.