Seventy percent of college students report feeling lonely or isolated

September was National Suicide Prevention Month.

According to Morgan’s Message and the Madison Holleran Foundation, last year, nearly 70 percent of college students reported feeling lonely or isolated, in addition to struggling with depression and/or anxiety.

However, in college, there are long waitlists for counseling centers and there is always a stigma associated with mental health treatment.

Local college student now attending Millersville University, Kayla Mitchell, of Center Moriches, took it upon herself to become a leading voice to help eliminate that stigma.  As a student-athlete, she currently serves as a Millersville University ambassador for the nonprofit organization Morgan’s Message.

“I became an ambassador for Morgan’s Message because I truly believe that student-athlete mental health is often disregarded as potentially fatal/important,” she said of her involvement. “A lot of the feelings that student-athletes have have a tendency to be normalized when often times many people are afraid to ask for help.”

She hopes her involvement will help break the stigma surrounding discussion about mental health and create a safer space on campus for open conversations.

On Sept. 28, the organization and Mitchell hosted a free virtual event, You Don’t Have to Do it Alone: Coming Together for Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, which featured mental health advocates and nonprofits.

For more information visit:https://www.eatingrecoverycenter.com/event/you-dont-have-do-it-alone-suicide-prevention-month.