The Psalm Review

Kiara Lee, PhD

Because we need to fully acknowledge the world we’re living in and the mental trials and tribulations our students are figuratively – and literally – dying in.

Not too long ago, I created and facilitated a workshop for (mostly) first year writing students that focused on the concept of “having it all” in their writing classes and in their overall lives as college students. In an interactive and energetic way, the attendees and I engaged with tips and tricks for success inside and outside of the classroom which included an introduction to resources around campus that support healthy and well-rounded student life. We talked about tutoring. We talked about mental health. We talked about drugs. 

Yeah, I really cut to the chase on this one.

As an educator, I firmly believe in meeting students where they’re at. No, I don’t mean I believe in promoting unhealthy behaviors or vices, but I do believe in acting like they do indeed exist. I do believe in the robust drug rehab services on campus and I do believe in sharing these services with students. I do believe in normalizing on-campus mental health supports like individual and group therapy and I do believe in showing students, like the one attendee who said she came from a culture that didn’t allow access to therapy, how to navigate making a therapy appointment.

The questions, comments and palpable relief of the attendees told me all that I needed to know: 

We need to stop running from the needs of college students. The title of this article from HigherEd Dive says it all: “Half of College Students say their mental health is ‘fair’ to ‘terrible.” The article goes into a myriad of details and findings from surveyed students that all paint a grim picture of reality — college students are suffering, mostly in silence.

Despite what we know and what can be backed by research, myths and small-mindedness still abound. There’s a myth that says if you talk to people about suicide, it’ll make them more inclined to actually commit the act. Some people feel that colleges should stay in their lane when it comes to drug abuse and mental health. Others look at me like I’m crazy when I say the theme of my writing class is “Mental Health is Wealth” or when I share that I use a book written by a formerly incarcerated addict to help teach narrative writing technique while showing them how to navigate the university counseling website. 

The sooner we stop pretending, the sooner college students can be heard. The sooner they can be heard, the sooner they can help themselves and save themselves.

To the pretenders, maybe you don’t want to tell it like it is – you don’t want to say or hear anything about drugs or mental distress — because you see yourself in these struggling students. Maybe you were once drowning in college or in another one of life’s stages but no one heard your cries or was willing to show you how to save yourself. Turn yesterday’s projection into today’s protection. Acknowledge the world we’re living in and the mental trials and tribulations our students are figuratively – and literally – dying in. These students are our future, so maybe you’ll hear me when I say it like this: when you save them, you save yourselves.

My name is Kiara and I’m a writer, an assistant professor teaching writing and a communication consultant at my consultancy, The House of Psalm. I’m passionate about education and writing; I’m even more passionate about using writing to spark conversations on the lessons that aren’t in the textbook here at The Psalm Review. Much of my work is named after my beloved daughter, Psalm.

IG @kiaraleewrites @thehouseofpsalm