Are the stresses of college life getting you down? Not feeling yourself lately?
You aren’t alone.
During the 2006-2007 school year, 17.5 percent of Fairfield University’s undergraduates utilized the counseling and psychological services on campus. The national average use of college counseling centers is 9 percent.
This month, the Student Organization Board of Governors [SOBOG] passed a constitution to add an on-campus chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness [NAMI] at Fairfield University, which, according to its Web site, is, “the nation’s largest grassroots organization for people with mental illness and their families.”
“NAMI is dedicated to the eradication of mental illness and to improving the quality of life for persons of all ages who are affected by mental illness,” the site says.
Mental illnesses are an enormous reality for college students, as the new demanding lifestyle causes a great amount of stress, and three-quarters of all lifetime cases of mental illness begin by age 24.
“Typical” college problems, according to the NAMI Web site, include relationship conflicts, adjusting to college, academic problems, anxious and depressive moods, substance abuse and trauma recovery.
Betsy-Anne Entwisle, president of NAMI-Fairfield and operations assistant in the registrar’s office, said that, in addition to the typical characteristics of such a transition, lack of sleep and poor eating habits often contribute to the onset of severe chronic stress and can lead to the onset of depression, ADD, bipolar disorder, panic and anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, OCD, eating disorders, self injury and substance abuse.
“A NAMI on campus will raise awareness among the young people, who will be our nation’s leaders and future, that mental illnesses, also referred to as brain disorders, are real diseases linked to chemical imbalances or other physiological causes that interfere with the brain’s normal processes,” said Entwisle.
As Fairfield’s statistics reveal, students who have taken advantage of the on-campus counseling center are not alone, and visiting the center is not unusual at all.
It is difficult, at a “cookie-cutter campus” such as Fairfield’s, which lacks diverse approaches in how students discuss sensitive issues, to feel comfortable facing one’s mental illness, according to Jennifer Stuart ’09, NAMI on-campus president-elect.
“Mental illness is often not recognized as a disorder of the brain, rather, an afflicted individual may be referred to as ‘crazy,’ ‘immature,’ ‘irresponsible,’ etc.,” Stuart said.
“It is also important for students’ privacy regarding such issues to be protected, which is why NAMI can be of great benefit to our student body,” she said.
Now that the organization has been approved by SOBOG, it will go through the national chartering process over the next few months. It will be the second chapter in Connecticut; the first is located in Hartford.
Joyce Shea, faculty adviser of the group and assistant professor of psychiatric mental health and nursing, anticipates that, by the fall, the University will have a fully functional chapter operating on campus.
According to Shea, this will “help to dispel the many myths surrounding mental illness and provide a much-needed source of support for students.”
Stuart said she hopes that by then, the University will have the resources and ability to provide monthly activities such as guest speakers, movie nights and fund-raisers. She also hopes to create on-campus support groups that will be led by certified NAMI support group facilitators.
Groups such as NAMI aim to provide students with resources and opportunities to learn about signs and conditions of mental illnesses, how and where to seek help, and how to feel comfortable doing so.
“Too often, people try to ignore or hide signs of emotional problems because of the stigma attached to their recognition,” said Shea. “As a Jesuit institution, we are seeking to know and to value the diversity within our ranks along racial and ethnic, religious, sexual orientation and gender lines; it is my hope that we also strive to accept and value the contributions made by all to this University.”
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