Here's Why Texas Students Wait Weeks for Basic Mental Health Services
By the fall of her sophomore year at the University of Houston, Mariellee Aurelio had already thought of several ways to kill herself. Getting a gun, jumping off a building and overdosing on over-the-counter pills were options she considered.
It was time to get help. But when Aurelio called the college counseling center in December 2014, she was told to call back later; all appointments for the day were booked. With winter break just around the corner, she couldn’t meet with a counselor before the end of the semester.
Her struggle mirrors those of countless college students across the state who are battling depression, anxiety and other mental illnesses but are often forced to wait weeks for a counseling appointment, according to interviews with several university students and counseling center directors.
Understaffed counseling centers at Texas universities say they are frustrated by their inability to reach students, but the state doesn't earmark money for mental health services, and lawmakers want to limit tuition hikes. That leaves universities strapped for funds to hire more counselors and improve services.
Read more: https://www.texastribune.org/2016/08/09/texas-universities-struggle-fund-mental-health-ser/