Nearly half of all college students have felt too depressed to function, but only 22 percent would consider seeking help -- and researchers say the shame and stigma surrounding mental health issues may be to blame.
"There is a huge stigma ... people are struggling privately but not getting the help they need because they're too embarrassed or ashamed," said Stephen Friedman, general manager of mtvU, MTV's 24-hour college network. "But the fact is that stigma kills."
In an effort to de-stigmatize mental health issues and increase students' awareness about suicide and depression, mtvU has teamed up with The Jed Foundation, a non-profit college suicide-prevention group, to launch the nationwide campaign "Half of Us."
The campaign centers around www.halfofus.com, which is an online resource center that includes a confidential mental health assessment and campus-specific information for students seeking help.
"We want to show everyone that there is no typical person with a mental illness. It could be absolutely anybody," Friedman said. "And if we can shift the basic paradigm from abnormal to normal, it's going to save lives."
MtvU also launched a series of public service announcements featuring students dealing with emotional disorders. And throughout the next year, company representatives will host educational events at college campuses across the country.
"We're hoping the videos spark conversation," Friedman said. "And we encourage people to tell us about themselves and about their experiences. The more students interact, the more successful this campaign is going to be."
Ben Locke, assistant director of Penn State's Center for Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), said he has followed the campaign closely because he serves on The Jed Foundation's ULifeline Board of Advisors.
"This is really the first time I'm
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aware of that a major media outlet -- which targets college students -- is willing to take a step toward publicizing the fact that mental health issues are commonplace and nothing to be ashamed of," he said. "And I think they are doing it in a way that college students will be receptive to. It's nonjudgmental and it's non-blaming."
According to survey results released as part of the campaign, about 1,100 college students die by suicide each year, making it the second leading cause of death of college-aged students.
The survey also found that 77 percent of respondents would not want their friends to know they were seeking help for emotional issues.
Mary Anne Knapp, clinical social worker and staff therapist for CAPS, said mental health disorders are sometimes mistaken as "thinking problems" instead of actual illnesses.
"People often say to pull yourself up by the bootstraps [if you have a mental health condition]," she said. "They don't realize that you need to treat the underlying problem, just like you would if you had high blood pressure or diabetes."
According to the mtvU survey results, one in five college seniors say they have considered suicide.
Knapp said seniors may be more likely than other college students to consider suicide because of the stress that change adds to their lives.
"When you're leaving what you know, you feel like you have to be a real adult and like you have to know it all," she said. "There is so much pressure to be successful, and it can make people doubt themselves ... and feel like it's never going to get better."
Knapp said the "Half of Us" campaign is important because it diversifies the way information is available.
"Some people may prefer to check things out online, or it will be the middle of the night and they have nowhere else to turn," she said.
Locke said he is optimistic about the campaign's success.
"When a very popular media outlet takes the time to make mental health a priority, they are effectively using their reach to let the audience known that mental health is a real issue," he said.
