This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UCD chapter.
A recent study conducted by Half of Us (HalfofUs.com), The Jed Foundation, and mtvU revealed that college students are especially at risk for mental health issues, with half reporting they have been so stressed that they couldn’t function during the past year. Many others may be struggling with family issues, adjusting to college life, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, addiction and a wide array of other stressors and issues. All of these problems are manageable and all of these mental health issues can be treated. The great news is that, if you are a student at UC Davis, help is completely confidential, on campus and free.
The Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) Center and The House offer a multitude of free services to help students stay in control of their health. CAPS offers free short-term individual and group counseling. They have counseling groups for men, survivors of sexual trauma, stress relief and many more. The professional and caring staff also helps connect students to other resources and support. CAPS encourages all students seeking their services for the first time to drop-in to their North Hall location for an initial consultation during their normal hours, 8am-4:30pm, Monday – Friday. Mental health staff is also available 24/7 by calling (530) 752-0871. Hesitant students should be encouraged to use these incredible free resources. Suzan Carson, an administrative assistant at CAPS, ensures students that “no issue is too small and if they can get through the door, that’s the hardest part.”
For those having a hard time getting through the door or just in need of someone to talk to, visiting The House can make seeking help a little bit easier. The House is a peer counseling center that offers drop in and telephone counseling to students 8am-5pm, Monday – Friday. The incredible student volunteers undergo extensive training and are supervised by CAPS professionals. Brittany Moso is a first year volunteer at The House and explained some of the benefits of peer counseling, “Sometimes it is intimidating to talk to a professional so it can be more comforting to talk to a peer first, and if they need further counseling or resources we can refer them.” There’s no reason for students to deal with mental health issues or stress alone, and help is just a bike ride or phone call away.