Seeking Support

Life at a college or university setting can be exciting and fresh for many undergraduates. They have the option to live away from home, construct their own class schedules, form new relationships and have the freedom to take advantage of plenty of other opportunities for post-secondary-education growth.

Not all students are able to participate in every positive aspect of college life, though, sometimes due to mental health issues, such as depression or anxiety.

According to the National Survey of College Counseling Center Directors, 10.4 percent of college students at four-year institutions sought counseling to better their mental health in 2009. The survey found students most commonly faced depression, anxiety and relationship issues. John DiMino, the director of Tuttleman Counseling Services, identified stress, procrastination, eating disorders and sexuality as four major reasons Temple students’ visits [“College students increasingly seek counseling,” Page 2].

DiMino said one reason for this increase in college students seeking help is the slowly dissolving stigma toward asking for help with regard to mental health.

Last year alone, the staff of Tuttleman Counseling Services was able to help more than 2,000 students struggling with mental health.

The population of Main Campus nears 30,000, yet only about 5 percent of students sought help. Issues relating to stress, procrastination, sexuality and relationships are universal.

While some students handle such issues better than others, not all college students are able to deal with such stressors without a helping hand. Yet no student should ever feel ashamed to seek help, especially when the issue at hand leads the student to consider suicide as a solution to the problem.

Students dealing with any issues they deem irresolvable must reach out to friends, family and professionals for help.
There’s no question Tuttleman Counseling Services does its best to ensure students get the help they need, but we also encourage Tuttleman to continue to receive and evaluate student feedback in order to provide the best mental health services possible.

For the time students are at Temple, counseling at the Tuttleman Counseling Center is free and confidential. The center recommends that students seeking help stop by during its walk-in hours between 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.