Monroe Community College is participating in a SUNY system-wide effort to find ways to help college students cope with the problems surrounding mental health issues. 

MCC student Jacquelyn DiClemente, 19, of Spencerport, is one of the thousands of SUNY students feeling the stresses of cramming for finals and preparing to wrap up the semester.

“The transition from high school into college…all my friends went away, I was in a new environment, I had new responsibilities, so it was just super stressful,” DiClemente said.

The American Psychological Association reports the number of students with significant psychological problems is a growing concern. One of its studies states that anxiety is the top presenting concern among college students at almost 42 percent, followed by depression at more than 36 percent.

“Kids are coming in with already having anxiety, depression, not having friends so they’re isolating themselves. So, I think the biggest struggle is not knowing where to go…not knowing how to find help,” DiClemente said.

Director of MCC’s Counseling Center & Disability Services, Dr. Aubrey Zamiara, is a member of the SUNY system wide task force. 

“There's a rising prevalence of student mental health needs,” Zamiara said. “And so as we're seeing an increasing risk of mental health issues such as depression, anxiety and suicidality. It was really the SUNY Board of Trustees that at the request of the SUNY Chancellor to pull together this group to develop this task force to really dive deeper into the mental health issues and challenges that our students are facing, and come up with best practices and recommendations on what we could be doing on our college campuses to support students.”

The task force will focus on early intervention and taking a look at public health approaches being used nationwide as it develops its strategies.

Another goal is get the word out on how students can get help.

“Don’t be shy. It’s okay to seek help and it’s okay that you’re not like everybody else,” DiClemente said. “We’re not created to be like everybody else, we’re supposed to stand out and transform, not conform. So be who you’re supposed to be, embrace it and love yourself for it.”