OSU-CHS adds online mental health resources for students

Thursday, December 21, 2023

Media Contact: Sara Plummer | Communications Coordinator | 918-561-1282 | sara.plummer@okstate.edu

It’s the time of year when many people in the OSU Center for Health Sciences community start thinking about their goals for the new year. While eating healthier and getting in shape are at the top of a lot of people’s lists of New Year’s resolutions, it’s important to not forget about mental health as well.

“Mental health should be just as important as physical health. It’s not possible to eat healthy for one day and be set for the rest of the month,” said OSU-CHS Student Counselor Jen Hartman. “Similarly, it’s not about going to counseling one day per month if a person isn’t practicing new skills, trying new communication techniques, or engaging in self-care.”

OSU-CHS students now have two new technology-based mental health resources they can utilize through Student Wellness — BetterHelp and Togetherall.

For students who prefer to talk with a counselor outside the campus setting, or who reside outside of Oklahoma, BetterHelp offers virtual and message-based services. Students enrolled at OSU are eligible for six free sessions per fiscal year, and any sessions after that are offered at a discounted rate.

Togetherall is a social media style platform where students from across the country can anonymously share their struggles and their successes with a larger community, much like group therapy. It’s also moderated by trained professionals who can identify triggering language or warning signs.

BetterHelp and Togetherall are just the newest resources available to students through OSU-CHS’s Department of Wellness.

“I typically say that our resources are tools in the toolbox and finding out what works best for someone is a process in their personal journey. There is no one perfect magic pill that will make someone well,” said Shawn Cooper, another OSU-CHS student counselor.

According to the American College Health Association’s National College Health Assessment conducted at OSU-CHS, 79% of students reported moderate to high amounts of stress. More than 27% stated their level of anxiety and 32% stated their level of stress has negatively impacted their academic performance.

“College student mental health is persistently on the decline, and I think it is important for students to be mindful of their mental health and well-being,” Cooper said. 

There’s a myth that only certain issues are worth talking about in counseling, Hartman said, and that’s simply not true.

“People often come to counseling for a wide variety of reasons— when they go through changes in their lives or relationships, experience loss, have specific goals they want to accomplish but aren’t sure how to get there, if they notice unhelpful patterns in thinking or behavior, when they don’t feel like themselves, or when stress impacts their sleep, just to name a few,” she said. “University Counseling Services can be a great place to check in about goals and get support.”

The good news is in that same college health assessment, almost 97% of students said they feel they belong at OSU-CHS and nearly 96% of students said they feel that we are a campus that looks out for each other.

“There is research that suggests simply talking about one’s thoughts and feelings, just saying them out loud, can provide some relief from stress and anxiety. I think counseling is more about the healing that can come from a meaningful conversation than anything else,” Cooper said. “I would suggest when stress becomes distress rather than eustress, that might mean it is time to reach in the toolbox and utilize the mental health resources available through University Counseling.”

OSU-CHS students have 24/7 access to counseling services, and information on how to access those services are available on the Student Wellness page.

Faculty and staff at OSU-CHS also have access to a number of mental health resources found on the Employee Wellness page.