New Jersey this week became the first US state to offer free psychological support through a teletherapy program to college students, who have experienced increased stress and anxiety in recent years.
“According to a study carried out by the state, the pandemic made things worse (…). I think many students feel very pressured to succeed. Issues such as the economic environment can make things difficult and world events can create additional stress,” Adam Ring, vice president of strategy at Uwill, the platform in charge of providing aid to students, told Efe.
Ring also points out that one of the important aspects that has changed in recent years regarding university students is that they have become more open when it comes to addressing their mental health issues.
“They feel more comfortable talking about their mental health issues and they reach out for help when they need it, which is great,” Ring says.
According to a survey conducted by the New Jersey Department of Higher Education in the fall of 2021, more than 70% of students reported that their level of stress and anxiety was higher or much higher than a year earlier and 40% said they were concerned about their mental health as a result of the pandemic.
“Before the pandemic, students already experienced more anxiety, more depression and more trauma. After the pandemic, according to the study, the problem worsened,” Ring says.
In a phone call, he explains that the program has a potential audience of 1.5 million students, who can contact an expert 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
It promises “an immediate appointment with an accredited counselor and according to the preferences” of the applicant for the services. Subsequently, the necessary appointments are agreed upon in which the professional and the student see each other through the screen.
Although the application has been running since 2020, Ring points out that they already work with 200 centers in all states of the country and that they have a staff of 50 full-time professionals.
“This is a very exciting initiative for New Jersey students and an incredible opportunity for them to get the support they need when they need it. It’s also the first time a state has made this commitment and we believe New Jersey could be a model for many other states in the United States,” concluded.
According to a statement from the office of New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, mental health problems among youth have been exacerbated across the country by the covid-19 pandemic.
“With the challenges that youth have had to deal with in recent years, both in New Jersey and across the nation, youth are facing a mental health crisis like never before,” Murphy said this week in the presentation of the new teletherapy program that has a public subsidy of 10 million dollars.