Breaking the Stigma: Student Perspectives on Mental Health Services at the University of Lynchburg

Emmy Gonshorowski

COMM 381

04/25/25

What stops a student from reaching out when feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or depressed? For many, the answer is stigma. Even as college counseling centers expand resources, stigma surrounding mental health continues to keep students from getting the help they need.

At the University of Lynchburg, students and staff reflect on this issue while national data highlights the widespread problem. According to the American College Health Association’s National College Health Assessment (ACHA-NCHA), over 75% of students reported experiencing moderate to serious psychological distress in the past year. Despite that, fewer than 40% sought professional help.

The impact extends into the classroom, too—more than 30% of students said anxiety negatively affected their academic performance, and nearly 25% reported depression made it hard to succeed in school.

A counseling staff member at Lynchburg noted that certain parts of the semester are busier than others. “We have typically seen increased utilization of services at the start of the Fall semester, around midterms and finals, and final weeks leading up to graduation,” he said.

He explained how stigma can impact whether students ask for help: “The stigma of mental well-being and support services directly impacts a student’s decision to seek help. This can be positive and/or negative.”

While Counseling Services works to break down barriers, student voices add more depth to the conversation. Carly Harris, a junior, shared her experience with Lynchburg’s support system. “I’ve used the counseling services before, and it’s helped me a lot during tough times,” Carly said. But fear of judgment still lingers. “It definitely affects whether I reach out.”

Camdyn Bennett, also a junior, stressed the importance of making mental health a more open topic. “I think a lot of students, including myself, struggle with the idea of reaching out because we don’t want to seem like we’re not handling things on our own,” she said.

As Carly and Camdyn share their experiences, it becomes clear that reducing stigma is key. The resources are there, but real change starts with open conversations. Encouraging students to seek support needs to be part of the culture, not the exception.