******Final Research Paper Submission: For the final paper, you will submit a thorough analysis of your topic (using at least ten legitimate sources). Sources utilized should be unique to those provided by the instructor in the modules. Students should use the PEAS Critical Thinking Framework (Problem, Evidence, Analysis, Solution) to guide their written work (see rubric in Canvas). Final paper should be at least 1000 words of content with a separate works cited/reference list.********
The bottom is the research topic that we will complete this paper on. Rubric is down in the files
Proposed Research Topic: The Mental Health Crisis On College Campuses
In recent years, there has been more attention and worry about student’s mental health while in college. It appears that more and more college students from the U.S. and around the globe are suffering from deteriorating mental health such as depression, anxiety, and others. This situation has, without a doubt, been amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic, which profoundly affected campus life, intensified social isolation, and was another stressful factor among students dealing with academic pressures and the challenges of early adulthood (Son et al., 2020). Nonetheless, in pre-pandemic times, mental health struggles already existed on most university campuses.
Some of the factors potentially contributing to mental health struggles among college students include the heavy burden of academic achievement and career decision-making, the financial burden of tuition, workload, leaving home for the first time, identity exploration, substance abuse, and eating disorders (Campbell et al., 2022). College life, in general, can be too much for some youths. As a college student myself, I can recall the intense anxiety I experienced at times related to academic performance, relationship issues, graduation, and simply adapting to the new university environment. While I was fortunate to avoid more severe mental health episodes, I knew many peers who struggled with depression, self-harm, and other concerning conditions during college.
From an institutional perspective, the mental health crisis poses significant challenges for universities. They must grapple with how to scale counseling services appropriately, provide affordable treatment, educate the campus community, and cultivate an environment that destigmatizes mental illness. There are also legal risks if universities are found negligent in their response to student mental health crises.
Some key research questions I would be interested in exploring include:
What are the latest prevalence data and trends regarding student mental health conditions at U.S. colleges and universities?
How do factors like demographic backgrounds, socioeconomic status, substance abuse, campus climate, etc. intersect with student mental health?
What innovative strategies are institutions pursuing to address mental health, from counseling services to campus policies to student outreach?
What role can/should technology like telehealth, and mobile apps play in supporting student mental health and lowering barriers to care?
How are student mental health crises being addressed at other types of institutions, such as community colleges and trade schools?
What are the most effective approaches to mental health education, stigma reduction, and prevention at the collegiate level?
Given my own experiences and the sheer scale of this issue, which impacts millions of students, I believe researching the mental health crisis on college campuses would be a worthy endeavor. The causes are complex, the consequences are serious from both an individual and institutional level, and the need for effective solutions is rapidly growing. I am passionate about better understanding this crisis and identifying paths forward.
References
Campbell, F., Blank, L., Cantrell, A., Baxter, S., Blackmore, C., Dixon, J., & Goyder, E. (2022). Factors That Influence Mental Health of University and College Students in the UK: A Systematic Review. BMC Public Health, 22(1). https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-022-13943-x
Son, C., Hegde, S., Smith, A., Wang, X., & Sasangohar, F. (2020). Effects of COVID-19 on college students’ mental health in the united states: Interview survey study. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 22(9), 1–14.https://doi.org/10.2196/21279Links to an external site.
