Built-in mental health supports need to be funded & prioritized for K-12 & college
In our K-12 and higher education surveys, the need for more mental health supports for students, educators and family was a prevalent theme.
- 35% of high school students surveyed said that they wanted mental health services, but didn’t have access to them.
- 36% of teachers said they wanted more access to mental health services.
- 21% of families said they would benefit from more mental health services.
- 74% of current college students said they have felt an increase of mental or emotional exhaustion due to COVID-19.
“My parents work an 8-5 job every day so I stay home by myself the majority of the time with nothing to do. Not being around my friends, family, or peers as much as I was before COVID has drastically affected me and my mental health,” wrote a high school sophomore in the Coping with COVID student survey.”In our college survey, despite respondents reporting increasing mental health issues, more (12%) indicated accessing mental health service less frequently than more frequently (8%) compared to before COVID-19.
- 13% reported they were not at all aware of mental health resources offered by their institution.
- 11% reported they had trouble accessing services.
A recent study by PEW Research Center found that as many as 1/3 U.S. adults are experiencing anxiety related to the pandemic. All of this data points to the need for built-in mental health supports in our public schools and universities.