Resources for Graduate Student Mental Health
Emergency Hotline Information (from CCS website)
Crisis Text Line
http://www.crisistextline.org/
Text “4HOPE” to 741-741
Free, 24/7, Confidential
Crisis Text Line serves anyone in any type of crisis, providing them access to free, 24/7 emotional support and information they need via the medium they already use and trust: text. Here’s how it works:
- Someone texts into Crisis Text Line anywhere, anytime, about any type of crisis.
- A live, trained specialist receives the text and responds quickly.
- The specialist helps the person stay safe and healthy with effective, secure counseling and referrals through text message using Crisis Text Line’s platform.
Other Local Emergency Psychiatric Resources
- Netcare Access Crisis Hotline at 614-276-CARE (2273) - Netcare provides twenty-four hour mental health and substance abuse crisis intervention, stabilization and assessment for Franklin County, Ohio residents
- Riverside Methodist Hospital is located at 3535 Olentangy River Road, 614-566-5321
- Mount Carmel West Hospital is located at 793 West State Street, 614-234-5000
Upcoming Events
Ohio State Offices and Programs
- Director Mickey Sharma sharma.369@osu.edu
- For urgent consultation, call CCS at 614-292-5766 (choose option 2 after-hours), or any of the below:
- Individual counseling
- Group counseling - 6 groups specifically for grad students
- Referrals
- Silver Cloud - SilverCloud is an online, interactive mental health resource that provides students with cognitive behavioral skills and strategies accessible 24/7.
- Grad Club has access to Life’s Tough, So Are You
- Wellness Assessment - will provide referrals to programs that may benefit you based on your responses
- iGrad is a financial literacy platform offered to Ohio State students free of charge.
- ScreenU is a brief, anonymous assessment for students to identify their potential risk for harmful consequences of misusing alcohol, marijuana or prescription drugs
- Buckeye Peer Access Line (PAL) is a non-emergency call line that provides support for students to engage in brief phone conversations and to learn about campus resources.
- Wellness APP : Download the Wellness app or explore well-being features in the Ohio State app and get started building your plan today.
- Students: complete your plan at the start of the semester and save your work. It will be there for you to refer to or update as your needs change. Consider reviewing it at the start of every semester. Explore the Wellness App ‘Support’ tab find even more resources to support your well-being and wellness goals.
- RAs: create your own plan and consider making it an activity at a floor meeting. You can also use it as a tool when meeting with residents.
- Faculty and staff: help students to create their plan and encourage completing it in your course or with student staff. You can also complete a plan of your own and set an example for the students you work with.
- Parents: download the Wellness app to explore resources your student can access on campus and talk with them about reaching out for support when they need it.
- The Health, Wellness, and Safety committee - Chair Abby Grieff grieff.2@osu.edu
- Earth Sciences Representative Lindsey Hernandez hernandez.641@osu.edu
- on-going mental health series starting Oct. 30?
- Ombudsperson to be appointed by end of Au2020 semester
- Hopefully some in-person next semester
- Director Kimberly Pachell
- Contact: advocacy@osu.edu, 614-292-1111 (voicemail)
- Located in basement of Drackett Tower – private door facing Archer
- Office kind of serves as ombudspersons
- CGS Ombudsperson will work closely with this office (appointed by end of semester)
- Academic, Discipline/Judicial, Financial, Housing, Enrollment, Personal Crisis, Physical/Mental Health, Other
- Jessie Owens North is being used for Covid-19 testing
- Alicia Bertone Vice Provost for Graduate Studies and Dean of the Graduate School
- Matthew Page Assistant Dean
- 614-247-7268, page.324@osu.edu
- Experienced with mediating faculty/grad student conflict
- Kate Zinn O'Grady Student Services Specialist
- Website has links to many resources, including many mentioned here
- New and Updated Funding mitigation from State of Graduate Student Mental Health Panel
- Outstanding student parent awards: $500 for 40 student parents
- 2nd round of extension of degree due to covid to colleges that already used it (same amount as first round)
- Upcoming Stipend increase
- Fee authorization decoupling from stipends
- Should benefit URM & international students
- Increased flexibility with out-of-state/country residency & stipends
Other on-campus resources & Past Events
- ESCE 5271: Wellness Achieving a Healthy Lifestyle
Strategies to improve mental health
- Prioritize self-care "You can't pour from an empty cup – take care of yourself first"
- Seek help
- Have a crisis plan
- Journal
- Self Care Plan & Resiliency Plan
- 3 items on each – what do I do to keep from falling down? What do I do to help myself get back up?
- Tip: Talk about mental health with department/advisor as you would another medical issue – don't share more than you're comfortable with
- Avoid technology for >1 hour before bedtime
- If this is not possible, use Night Shift or blue-light blockers
- iOS: Settings > Screen Time > See All Activity
- Android: Settings > Digital Wellbeing & parental controls > menu > Manage your data > toggle on Daily device usage
- Other Apps: Moment, BreakFree, Offtime, Forest
- Re-think notifications by grouping apps in folders and disabling notifications
- Small changes: use grayscale; only keep tools on home screen, charge phone away from bed
- Employ time management strategies
- Prioritize tasks (urgent, important, not important)
- Control procrastination by structuring time, breaking up large tasks, creating short-term deadlines, avoiding perfectionism
- Manage commitments
- Recognize distractions and make a plan to minimize them
- Get enough exercise
- Engage in mindfulness, creative, relaxing, etc. activities
- E.g. Meditation, Coloring, Stretching, petting a pet
Statistics from the State of Grad Student Mental Health meeting
- 1/3 of Americans now showing signs of clinical anxiety or depression; 20-ish% of young adults have exhibited suicidal thoughts
- Safe Campus Scientific Advisory Subgroup of Post-pandemic Operations Task Force sent out survey to assess OSU Community mental health
- Student response rate 30.7% (usually response rates are 15-20%)
- 657 grad students responded
- Grad students least confident about returning to campus safely
- Concerned about contracting covid, passing it on, but especially concerned about others not following protocols
- 43% of grad students had positive anxiety screen, 26% positive depression screen
- Coping Strategies: 34% increase in sleep, eating more, more alcohol, 70% connected with family/friends
- Did less physical activity, ate less healthy
- Those sleeping less/more had higher rates of anxiety/depression than those whose sleep did not change
- Expressed interest in wellness, fitness, rec activity; ¼ interested in meditation/mindfulness, counseling
- Implications:
- Need to Continue to accelerate access to mental health services along with preventative/intervention mental health programming
- Hard to engage grad students -> wellness assessment with referrals for the semester?
- Normal distribution for time management
- Positive skew for department mental health support
- Positive skew for students feeling affected by covid
- Normal distribution for belonging/acceptance at osu
- 84% said I am struggling, but I know others are too
- Largest stressor: overwhelmed with work; mood; academics; health risks
Additional Reading
Lessons From the Trenches of Motherhood and Academe