(110 ILCS 58/10)
Sec. 10. Findings. The General Assembly finds all of the following: (1) Mental health is a pressing and growing issue on |
| college campuses across this State and the country. A recent national survey found that one in 4 college students are treated for or diagnosed with a mental health condition and one in 5 has considered suicide.
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(2) About 75% of all mental health conditions start
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| by age 24, with higher rates of diagnosed disorders in college-aged students. College counseling center directors believe mental health conditions among students on their campuses are increasing, signaling a growing issue that must be addressed.
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(3) Students who come from low-income households are
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| more likely to have a mental health condition.
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(4) Between 2007 and 2017, the diagnosis rate of
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| college students increased from 22% to 36%, indicating a higher need for services. Treatment rates over the same period increased by 15%.
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(5) Young adults are less likely to receive mental
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| health support than any other age group. College campuses can play a big role in addressing this challenge. Over 70% of Illinois high school graduates enroll in a postsecondary program shortly after graduation.
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(6) College-aged students are more accepting of
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| mental health services than the general population, but most struggle accessing them. An overwhelming 96% of college students reported they would provide support to peers whom they knew were thinking about suicide.
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(7) Many students lack knowledge of mental health
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| signs and symptoms and do not know how to help or where to refer their friends for services.
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(8) Services offered by most college campuses are
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| limited in scope and capacity, with 67% of campus counseling center directors saying that their campus psychiatric service capacity is inadequate or does not meet student demand.
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(9) Combined with a dearth of available services, the
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| vast majority of students do not seek out services, and many students who complete a suicide never received on-campus services. Paying for community-based services is an issue for about half of students. Combining insufficient on-campus services with unaffordable community resources leaves students on their own.
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(Source: P.A. 101-251, eff. 7-1-20 .)
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