The Disability Resource Center (DRC) at the University of Minnesota recently hired two new employees to keep up with ever-increasing student demand.
In prior years, the DRC mostly served students with learning disabilities. Now, 45 percent of requests come from students with mental health concerns.
Student Counseling Services has experienced a similar spike in demand. As the stigma surrounding mental health issues and care continues to diminish, the University must ensure that it prioritizes support for the DRC and related services.
While it’s difficult to pinpoint the exact reasons why appointments at the DRC have increased, the newfound willingness of students to discuss and seek assistance with mental health may be a large factor. The University has played a role in reducing this stigma, as evident from the University-sponsored mental health posters hung throughout campus.
But the school must also provide adequate services for empowered students to use.
We applaud the University for hiring additional staff at the DRC and for its efforts in previous years to reduce waitlists at Boynton Health Service. This momentum needs to continue in order to create a strong, well-supported mental health system that unites the resources of the DRC, Boynton and SCS. In particular, SCS still experiences long waitlists and is unable to consistently accommodate all of its visitors.
Students often seek out these resources to develop strategies to become better learners and more engaged community members. The University must continue to support these efforts.
