The following is a Letter to the Editor for the Opinions section.
Dear Editor,
With the release of the “Return to Campus: Testing and Quarantine Protocols,” DU students are beginning to see how fall quarter will function. I am proud of DU’s response to the pandemic. They have developed an effective medical partnership with National Jewish Health, created robust testing and contact tracing protocol and are following all national, state and local COVID-19 guidances.
However, myself and many others continue to be disappointed by DU’s response to the mental health crisis which coincides with this pandemic. During a normal year at DU, 70 percent of students report feeling above average or extreme stress, and up to 90 percent report feeling overwhelmed. Our use of alcohol and other drugs sits above the national average in every single category, with the rate of alcohol consumption in particular being 22 percent higher.
Before the pandemic, I knew many friends who were only able to see their therapist once a month. I also knew friends who could not access therapy at all. For years, DU students have heard POC and LGBTQIA+ communities pleading for counselors who share their experiences and identities and seen no action from administration.
Counselors and therapists in the HCC and PPC are doing their best to stem the tide and help students cope with life at DU. Yet, upper level administrators continue to prioritize other areas of campus life over mental health. This only causes pain and hardship.
We face the greatest global health crisis in generations. It has only deepened the desperate need for comprehensive mental health services.
Research shows the COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacts the mental wellbeing of a large portion of society, further exacerbating existing mental and physical health problems. In a population like DU with already high rates of substance use and mental health issues, COVID-19 poses a dangerous threat. If DU fails to dramatically expand funding for mental health services—which would include the hiring of BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ counselors—then we will see a mental health crisis of truly unimaginable proportions.
Today, I call upon the University of Denver to support its students’ health and wellbeing, mental and physical. It is not enough to provide a telehealth app and hotline or to place additional stress on overworked counselors who are students themselves. What we need is to hire more professional therapists and counselors. Students should have access to low-cost, inclusive, consistent and effective therapy. To do any less is to harm the students of DU.
Signed,
June Churchill
On Campus Senator
Student Living and Wellness Committee Co-Chair
she/her/hers
