Support, hope exist for young adults struggling with mental health
When I was a freshman at Ohio State, the anxiety and depression that began to manifest as a teenager intensified to the point that, even on a campus surrounded by thousands of people, I felt helpless and alone.
I didn’t realize back then that 73% of college students experience some sort of mental health crisis. Or that nearly a third of Americans struggle with their mental health – often silently, because half go untreated.
Today, these issues are exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic: More than half of college-age adults reported symptoms of anxiety or depression in 2021.
More:Column: COVID mental health issues can hurt us in the long term
I wasn’t alone – then or now – and I’ve spent the past several years trying to make sure no one else struggling with a mental health challenge feels like they are. It’s a welcome change that we are having a more open and honest national conversation about mental health – although we still often tiptoe around it the way people whispered “cancer” a generation ago.
That’s why I’m spearheading the creation of a groundbreaking new program with Ohio State College of Medicine. My family and I believe strongly in the need for welcoming, accessible mental health options, particularly among young adults as they build a foundation for a lifetime of mental wellness.
Our goal is to create a program that will support students 24 hours a day, seven days a week – and that can be replicated on campuses across the country. The Jeffrey Schottenstein Program for Resilience is a holistic, skills-based wellness and resilience-building program that I desperately needed when I was on campus.
It’s a personal cause, to be sure, because I never want another young adult – or anyone – to feel ashamed of who they are because of the cruel chemical tricks their minds can play.
I put my name on the program not because of ego, but because I believe that to live successfully with mental health challenges, you first have to shed the shame and stigma still too often attached to them.
If you struggle with mental health, know that you are not anonymous. You do not struggle alone, but are surrounded by people who love and celebrate you. Even with increased openness about mental health, there’s a quiet stigma that needs to be eliminated so we can improve access to treatment.
That’s what we intend to do alongside program leader Dr. Luan Phan, Chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at Ohio State, whose long-time research focus has been adapting cutting-edge neuroscience discoveries directly to the treatment of patients, with an emphasis on anxiety and mood disorders.
His dedication to bringing real-time science to bear in clinical practice will guide the program’s approach to providing resilience-building coping tips and cognitive and emotional strengthening skills that students will be empowered to use throughout adulthood.
One of the aspects I’m most excited about is the peer-to-peer approach – where students talk to other students about their challenges, their successes. They can see their peers confront similar challenges, learn from each other and know that they are not alone.
My parents instilled in me at an early age that net worth is determined by what you give, not what you have. It’s important that other parents have the same peace of mind that their children have unlimited access to an innovative health and wellness program tailored to promote connection and destigmatize mental health issues.
None of us should ever feel all alone. There is hope.
Jeffrey Schottenstein is the founder and CEO of the TACKMA sportswear brand and Chief Investment Officer of SEI Inc.