Campus Mental Health Services and Student Needs in COVID-19

There has been an increased rate of utilization of campus-based mental health services among college students. While this overall trend is noteworthy, disparities exist in terms of quality and quantity of campus-based services. Some of these differences are linked to the overall socioeconomic status of student populations. The outbreak of COVID-19 has compounded these issues. Recent research surrounding the Coronavirus pandemic suggests that the stressors involved, particularly for college students, may elevate and alter their need for mental health services. Additionally, there are disparities in terms of who is most affected by the pandemic, with populations based on race, class, and gender being most at risk. Through random cluster sampling of institutions within the six regional accreditation bodies of the United States, this study explores the ways in which colleges and universities are meeting the mental health needs of students during COVID-19. This paper discusses this secondary data analysis, based on information obtained from institutional websites, kinds of mental health services, access to these services, and provisions and availability during COVID-19. The results highlight the disparities of mental health services, based on sociodemographics of student populations, and how these disparities have worsened during the pandemic. This information will help to inform further development and expansion of mental health services in response to the pandemic, in preparation for future crises in public health, and in attention to diverse and vulnerable students. Keywords: mental health services, college campuses, vulnerable students, COVID-1