An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated Marrone sought treatment for depression from the student counseling center. She visited the student health center to seek treatment for anxiety.
By Sophia Barnes and Ann Cleven
American University sophomore Julia Marrone had a toothache a couple of months ago, and it took her only a few minutes to book an appointment online with a dentist who accepted her insurance and was available to see her that week.
But getting treatment for her anxiety wasn’t as easy.
Marrone, 19, called a number of doctors and struggled to find a provider who accepted her health insurance. When she finally found one who did, there was a two-and-a-half month wait to be seen.
After countless phone calls with doctors who did and did not take her insurance, she opted to get psychiatric treatment at the American University Student Health Center because it could take her first–but she still had to wait three weeks for her appointment.
“Talk about a stressful situation just to get some medicine that helps me deal with stress,” said Marrone, a psychology major from New Jersey.
Listen to Julia Marrone’s story
Marrone is not alone in her struggle to get mental health treatment. Among young adults with mental health needs, 6 percent chose not to seek help due to not being able to afford it or not having enough time, according to a report by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In fact, people suffering from mental illness have 2.5 to 7 times greater odds of any barriers to care, according to the report.
The demand for mental health services is also high at Washington, D.C.’s American University, where nearly 10 percent of undergraduate students have visited the Counseling Center in the past seven months and can take advantage of the eight free counseling sessions available to students, according to a senior staff member.
Yet, with so many people using these services offered by the AU Counseling Center, a student may have to wait weeks to get an appointment with a counselor. Amanda Rahimi, who holds a doctorate in psychology and is director of outreach services at the Counseling Center, said demand this semester has been “higher than ever.”
The Counseling Center offers Urgent Care walk-in hours on weekdays from 3 to 5 p.m. for students who need immediate help. However, students who need regular or in-depth care face the long wait times and inconveniences that Marrone confronted when booking her appointment–even if they don’t go to the Counseling Center.
On AU’s campus in the Northwest part of the district, the James J. Gray Psychotherapy Training Clinic provides services for as little as $10 for people making under $25,000 a year. On a Thursday morning, the door under the “James J. Gray Clinic” sign in Asbury Building was closed, locked and dark. Staff did not respond to a phone message before deadline.
The Psychiatric Institute of Washington, on Wisconsin Avenue less than one mile from campus, is one alternative facility the Counseling Center recommends. However, the average wait for an initial consultation is usually about three weeks. On Dec. 3, the earliest appointment a student could get would be in early January.
When asked if a spike in appointment requests contributed to the wait time, the receptionist said, “It’s December? Three weeks? No, that’s a very normal wait time.”
The mental health issues on campus match a national trend. According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 1 in 4 adults have struggled with depression.
Though the statistics are compelling, mental health care is still an issue that lacks funding at local and national levels. The AU administration will inject $50,000 into the Counseling Center budget in the 2014 and 2015 fiscal years, according to AU’s strategic goals.
The Counseling Center has been effective in creating solutions around its financial limitations but Rahimi said budget constraints mean longer wait times. As an alternative to one-on-one care, it offers eight different weekly group sessions, which students are free to drop into without filling out paper work.
The Counseling Center has come up with solutions around its budget constraints. With only nine full-time psychologists out of its staff of 31, a bigger budget could fund more full-time staff to see students, Rahimi said.
Funding for mental health isn’t just a local issue; it’s a national one. According to the National Alliance of Mental Illness, 29 states cut funding for mental health treatment between 2009 and 2012.
The major issue at hand with the wait for mental health services is that there is some threat that a person’s conditions could worsen. Seventy-three percent of counselors reported that the number of college students seeking help with a “crisis requiring immediate attention” was rising quickly, according to the American College Counseling Association.
The National Institute of Mental Health noted that 6 percent of college students have reported seriously considering suicide, while 1 percent of college students reported attempting suicide in the previous year.
These numbers shed light on how serious the issue can be, especially if not treated right away. When a person in need of mental health services is at risk of hurting him or herself, psychologists always give other options to those seeking care.
One option is often a list of hotline numbers, such as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, a free service that offers counseling 24/7 over the phone. A person can call for any issue related to mental health and all information is kept confidential.
Another option that is suggested for those who need urgent mental health care is visiting the hospital. However, a visit to the hospital for mental health services can also be pricy. Psychiatry Online released statistics that the average cost for depression treatment at a hospital costs $6,990 for 8.4 days and $3,616 for 4.4 days.
“Mental health is something that people will often neglect, but it’s something we all have,” Rahimi said. “Good nutrition, getting sleep, making sure you exercise–mental health can be maintained in similar ways.”
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