New Equity in Mental Health Framework Supports Students of Color

By Megan Johnson on November 16, 2017

Mental health issues prove prevalent among college students, and colleges and universities try to provide programming and activities to support these students. However, sometimes schools could use some help in strengthening these services and making them the best they can be.

To help colleges and universities support and enhance the mental health of students of color, two nonprofit organizations came together to create the Equity in Mental Health Framework (EMH Framework): the Jed Foundation (JED) and The Steve Fund.

According to the press release announcing the news, the Jed Foundation exists to “protect emotional health and prevent suicide for teens and young adults,” and the Steve Fund was created “to address the mental health needs of young people of color.”

The new EMH Framework provides 10 actionable recommendations and implementation strategies to help colleges and universities strengthen their programs to address mental health disparities facing students of color. Compared to white students, students of color at American colleges and universities are almost twice as likely to not seek care when depressed or anxious. A Harris Poll referenced in the release also found that students of color are less likely to describe their campus as inclusive and more likely to often feel isolated on campus.

Developers used the statistics from the Harris Poll, a scientific literature review, a convention of higher education leaders, and a survey of higher education administrators to develop the EMH Framework. Developers also looked into the unique mental health challenges of students of color.

“We created the Equity in Mental Health Framework to provide colleges and universities across the country with accessible information, ideas and examples to inform and strengthen their mental health supports and programs for students of color,” said John MacPhee, JED Executive Director, in the release. “Our goal is to stimulate discussion and new research while helping more schools prioritize these efforts in order to ensure mental health equity for our nation’s college students.”

Click here to access the EMH Framework and other valuable resources!

About JED and the Steve Fund

JED partners with high schools and colleges to strengthen mental health, substance abuse, and suicide prevention programs and systems, encouraging community awareness and understanding for young adult mental health. JED’s programs include JED Campus, Set to Go, ULifeline, Half of Us, and Love is Louder.

 The Steve Fund works to promote programs and strategies to build understanding and assistance for the mental and emotional health of the nation’s young people of color, delivering direct services to young people of color.

pixabay.com

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