New Project Aims to Help Mentally Ill Students

According to a press release from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, about 15% of U.S. college students suffer from some form of mental illness, including depression, but support may be difficult to find. A new program at UNC aims to help those students by encouraging them to learn about their treatment options and making their wishes known before they are in crisis.

The project is exploring whether students are willing to prepare what is known as "advanced directives for mental health." These are legal documents which outline the students' mental illness(es) and what care they would prefer to receive. The documents are provided to the people and agencies who might potentially help them during a mental health crisis.

"It is almost like a living will," says lead investigator Anna Scheyett. "It gives you a chance up front when you're healthy to speak for yourself and your needs - to keep your autonomy when the illness might be trying to take that away from you."

The document can be as specific as the student wishes it to be. For example, it could talk about how the student "looks" during a crisis, their preferred meds, the name of their therapist or hospital instruction. It could even include details like, "Call my brother and tell him to pay my rent so I don't lose my place," said Scheyett.

Information about the program is being distributed through UNC's Disability Services, the Office of the Dean of Students and Counseling and Wellness Services. Students and 18 years and older are eligible to participate.