STAFF EDITORIAL: Think of college mental health

Staff Editorial

Mental health has historically been a subject people do not focus on enough.

So it’s great to hear that Student Body President Carson Gordon has an initiative to spread awareness this week at Eastern.

In an Oct. 10 article from The Daily Eastern News, we reported that the senate would partner with the athlete advisory committee for this week to bring events highlighting mental health awareness. There are also events taking place on the third week of October.

This week, tables at Lantz Arena and the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union.

With Suicide Awareness Day taking place Tuesday, students can pin hearts on a board to remember those who have died.

There will even be a comfort dog named Rachel from 9 a.m. to noon at the academic services center in Lantz Arena on Wednesday.

We at The Daily Eastern News want to thank the senate for spreading awareness. We also want to recognize the resources available for students who are struggling with mental health.

Eastern has a counseling clinic on the first floor of the Human Services Building, and it’s totally free for students.

Students can also seek help from a psychiatrist at Eastern; those services are not free, however, but they’re still affordable for college students.

People sometimes hear others promote mental health awareness and dismiss it for a number of reasons.

They might genuinely believe the issue is blown out of proportion, or that it just isn’t as important as people claim.

The truth is that mental health isn’t physically visible like physical health, so it’s difficult to pinpoint.

There’s also a great amount of unfair judgement and scrutiny passed onto many who suffer with their mental health.

So not only is it more difficult to detect, it is harder for people to ask for help.

Mental health is something that’s often hard to talk about for these, so it makes sense that college students don’t understand that they have resources available to them.

That’s why it’s important to have events and resources available on campus here at Eastern and to publicize them.

Mental health is important. We want to thank everyone who helps spread awareness.

The Editorial Staff can be reached at 581-2812 or at [email protected].