Scarlet, gray and OK

They each own a story of triumph, and so watching graduates every semester claim their diplomas, smiling, posing, chests out, is pure joy for Melissa Shivers. She knows those students’ stories are rife with challenges, many including mental health struggles. And they’ve met them head-on.

“I love seeing students take their power back,” says Ohio State’s senior vice president for student life. “Knowing that something at Ohio State — a person, a program, a conversation — changed the course of their life is powerful.”

In her nearly three decades in the student affairs field, Shivers has seen a dramatic shift in attitudes about mental health. In 2023, 49% of students told Ohio State they had received such care at some point in their lives and 35% said they had in the past year. Decades ago, that was far less likely to be the case — and if it was, few talked openly or publicly about it.

The progression holds important lessons, says Micky Sharma, who directs Counseling and Consultation Service (CCS) at Ohio State.

“There are more students on campus today who have had prior mental health treatment than at any other time in history,” he says. “My take is twofold: One, higher education is an option for more people in our society. That’s a win. Two, Ohio State has to be prepared. These are our students — how do we support them?”

Students themselves, as well as national and local data, report they face high rates of anxiety, depression, loneliness and crisis situations. Sharma and Shivers both say Ohio State’s constant expansion of mental health resources is a reflection of that reality.

“If our students aren’t doing well outside of the classroom, they can’t show up their best inside the classroom,” Shivers says.

Sharma adds: “The importance lies in retention, graduation, life success,” Sharma says. “It’s not just about struggles they’ll have as a student; you learn these skills now and they’ll help you be successful wherever life takes you.”

For students who require help, the approach is to examine each person’s unique mental health needs and provide the right supports.

Sharma says it’s a multimodal system that offers:

• One-on-one counseling
• Embedded clinicians across campus
• One of the largest group counseling programs in the nation
• Drop-in workshops
• Daily Let’s Talk chats with counselors
• Wellness coaching
• A large community provider database for specialized and long-term care
• Mental health professionals at regional campuses

The full-time staff at CCS has doubled, to 49, in Sharma’s 13 years here, but leaders are well aware there’s no hiring our way out of any mental health crisis — and that not every student needs counseling. Meeting students’ diverse needs requires, first, understanding them, then innovating, personalizing and destigmatizing how we deliver holistic care.

“We’ve normalized the conversation around the importance of mental health and well-being here,” Shivers says. “That’s unparalleled in my experience.”

Ways we help Buckeye students

When it comes to students getting help, growing stronger or figuring out where they belong, no single option can work for everyone. So Ohio State has diversified its approach to offering assistance. Here are 19 examples of programs open to any student.

Drop-in workshops

Counseling and Consultation Service (CCS) fields about a dozen sessions each week, in person and virtually, on mindfulness, stress management, relationships and other topics. One example: “Passion Over Perfect: Developing Resiliency to Overcome Adversity.”

A practical guide

The Office of the Chief Wellness Officer has straightforward advice for living well based on 10 dimensions of wellness. go.osu.edu/student-guide

‘Let’s talk’ consultations

CCS provides informal 20-minute conversations with clinicians for students who need to talk through a problem but don’t need ongoing counseling. There are same-day appointments and very little paperwork.

MindStrong

The College of Nursing offers a seven-week, 1-credit course that helps students from any discipline build cognitive behavioral skills to regulate their emotions and cope with stress.

Group counseling

To provide talk therapy in a supportive space with people who share a student’s concerns, CCS offers affinity and interpersonal groups, such as for grad students, LGBTQ+ students or those facing substance use issues.

Individual therapy

After a phone screening, students can be matched for one-on-one therapy with a university-employed counselor through CCS. The Department of Psychiatry, which has a strong relationship with CCS, also provides counseling to students, both through this service and others.

Embedded counselors

More than a dozen counselors are set up in specific colleges and programs, both to develop familiarity with student needs and provide extra access to resources and care. Examples: colleges of Engineering, Law and Social Work.

Collegiate Recovery Community

The Student Wellness Center (SWC) provides individualized recovery plans, peer-to-peer support, scholarships, social events, service opportunities, and a safe space for students who have struggled with substance misuse.

Wellness coaching

The SWC trains students to help peers take a positive approach to personal development, focusing on strengths and goal setting to manage stress, balance relationships, navigate transitions, improve confidence and fulfill other needs.

Psychological Services Center (PSC)

With care from Department of Psychology doctoral students, PSC provides free evidence-based treatment to students and others experiencing psychological conditions such as depression, anxiety and stress disorders. 

Partial Hospitalization and Intensive Outpatient Programs

Students with more severe concerns who do not require hospitalization can participate in this daytime program lasting four to six weeks. It incorporates medication management and individual psychotherapy. 

Medication management

In providing students with primary care, Student Health Services offers mental health and psychiatric medication treatment, often alongside counseling from other sources.

Suicide prevention

The Suicide Prevention Program works to provide help and destigmatize mental illness, serving as a connection point for university efforts and student groups. Programs it assists with include REACH (which trains Buckeyes to respond with empathy to people who might need help), RUOK? Day and the Out of Darkness campus walk.

Care grants

The Student Advocacy Center offers up to $2,000 in emergency funding to help eligible students pay for services like treatment programs, hospitalization and therapy.

SMART Lab

A teaching and research pairing from Student Life and the College of Education and Human Ecology, this effort helps students learn stress management skills through biofeedback, which focuses on heart rate, breathing and meditation.

Nutrition coaching

The Student Wellness Center offers this service to help students with eating concerns, including body image and disordered eating.

Students helping students

Student organizations focusing on mental health include Buckeye Campaign Against Suicide, Mental Health Matters, The Boo Radley Society and Wellness Advocacy at Ohio State. Many more are interested in the subject and in helping fellow students, and to do so, they host club meetings, activities and events.

Relationship education

Relationships are a critical part of the college experience, and this program shares what distinguishes healthy, unhealthy and abusive relationships (romantic and otherwise). It also teaches about consent and sex positivity.

Buckeye food alliance

A combination of food pantry and outreach, this service provides fresh produce, pantry staples, meat and dairy products, and more. It’s an important mental health aid because not having necessities causes enormous stress and anxiety.