The commonality in the lack of resources for mental health has proven to be large. According to the public policy and advocacy consulting firm, HCM Strategists, one-fifth of undergraduate students struggle with a mental health condition, but many feel they are unable to receive the care they need on campus. Students often pay thousands of dollars to attend an institution where they can cultivate and learn.
Though the process of education is not simple at all, the time consumed on studying, reading, writing essays, attending class, and doing homework dominate students’ lives. Bre’Anna Dunn, a junior, accounting major at Norfolk State University, contends, “My school work has controlled my life so much so, I do not have any free time to myself. I feel like my hobbies, like gaming and exercising, which made me happier are nonexistent. I have lost my balance of free time and school work because schoolwork is all I do,” Dunn said. Personal experiences like this convey the struggles college students encounter. There is no longer a balance between school life and social life, as they morph into one.
The emphasis on mental health is a slow-burning flame as more and more institutions are realizing their lack of resources. The American Psychological Association (APA), reports that in 2020, 58% of college presidents said they would hire additional staff members in counseling centers, if possible.
This “if” can be quite problematic because the mental health of college students depends on this big “if”. It takes time to officially hire professionals and additional staff. There is the process of trying to find new employees who fit the job description, the interviewing process, the hiring process, and even the process of creating new offices. While all of these actions take place, college students’ mental health issues are either at a standstill, or progressing, and getting worse.
What if there were a possible way for these college students to receive help without having to wait for their institution to get their ducks in a row? The mobile application, Cerebral – Mental Health is a likely solution. Cerebral is more than a simple mobile application that works to help with mental health, it is a physician lead company.
This company consists of a team of professionals like nurses, physicians, and psychiatrists. Together, they help provide all-inclusive online care which consists of medication, therapy, or both! This means that users can get medications prescribed from the experts they communicate with via phone conversation, messaging, or video chat.
Before getting into medications and such, there are a couple of steps to be completed. When first downloading the app, the user has to answer a series of questions regarding the user’s symptoms. Then the user has to select one of three plans, “Medication + Care Counseling”, “Medication + Therapy”, or “Therapy.”
Once a plan is chosen, the user will get on a video or phone call with a prescribing mental health provider. Then the consumer will proceed to chat with their counselor and will soon receive a few prescribed medications in just a matter of days. After, regular check-ins will occur with the user’s mental health provider and counselor.
Cerebral can benefit college students mainly due to its convenience! According to Cerebral, members can have their first visit with a professional within 20 minutes of signing up! 20 minutes compared to waiting a matter of days for a counselor to be hired at a university is quite a difference. Students do not have to leave their room or go wait in line for the next available specialist. Students can talk to their specialists from the convenience of their dorm room.
The selling point for Cerebral to college students is that it is convenient and easy to use! Not only do they not have to wait on their school to receive help but they also do not have to pay a crazy expensive amount to see a psychiatrist in the office. According to BetterHelp, “The average psychiatrist’s fee generally falls somewhere between $100 and $300 per appointment.” This pricey amount in comparison to Cerebral’s cost of less than $29 when applying insurance to the original costs.
From depression to insomnia, anxiety, even bipolar disorder, in addition to other conditions, Cerebral- Mental health is beneficial to a variety of college students who are encountering different mental struggles.
Spartan Echo 