Colorado has a behavioral health crisis that touches nearly every corner and community of our state. It affects rich and poor, rural and urban and all races and ethnicities. We have one of the highest suicide rates, huge prisoner populations and nearly 10,000 Coloradans who experience homelessness on any given day.
This mental health epidemic is especially acute among our youngest where serious depression and suicide is becoming more common. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that one in five American children ages 3 through 17 — about 15 million — have a mental, emotional or behavioral disorder. Eighty percent — about 12 million — go undiagnosed and never receive treatment.
Research shows that many young adults today think the system is rigged against them at a time when they’re predisposed to optimism about their futures. They believe they have little control over how their lives turn out.
As a result, the demand for mental health services on college campuses is on the rise, including at the University of Colorado Boulder. Since 2013, we have seen a 40% increase in the need for counseling services, which is in line with campuses nationwide.
All this comes amid a mental health system in disrepair. The problem isn’t simply limited government resources; hospitals are better equipped to respond to physical ailments and treatment, less so to mental health and prevention.
That’s why the University of Colorado Boulder is investing in research and education to promote wellness. With a generous donation from philanthropist Patricia Crown, we’re building a home for interdisciplinary research-practice partnerships. We’re elevating our approach to mental health by focusing on prevention and working in partnership with schools, communities and behavioral health systems. We’ll conduct groundbreaking research starting as early as possible in childhood development and continuing through college. This research will have applications on our campus and beyond.
For our students, we’re engaging holistically, putting their needs at the center of their entire collegiate experience. We’re helping each student develop a sense of belonging, educating students about campus health and wellness services and meeting students where they are physically, from telehealth to different spaces throughout campus. We’re empowering them to find their path in life and positively impact their communities with the life skills they are building working with our services. And we are constantly adjusting, upgrading and expanding our reach, especially with counseling services and additions like peer wellness coaches in residence halls, and skill-based workshops.
From athletics to law enforcement, we’re providing support and teaching everyone how to identify students in distress while educating everyone on campus on how to get help. Our students are changing and their needs are changing, so we must constantly adapt in how we prepare them for success.
On March 3 at a summit in Denver, we focused exclusively on this groundbreaking work promoting health and wellness. Campus experts and community partners held a discussion on these seemingly intractable challenges and innovative solutions.
CU Boulder’s official university seal depicts a torch in the hands of our youth. One day they will light our way. But right now, with a holistic approach to health and wellness, it’s on us to illuminate the path.
Philip DiStefano is the chancellor of the University of Colorado Boulder.
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