Today, March 23, Kansas State University is hosting its third All In for K-State day of giving with the bold objective to increase access to mental health services for K-State students. K-Staters and friends are invited to go All In for K-State to raise awareness of essential mental health resources at K-State and reduce the stigma around mental health.
Funds raised will support K-State’s Counseling and Psychological Services and the Morrison Family Center for Student Well-being.
Why go All In for mental health resources?
“We want to make sure that at K-State, when someone asks for help, we have the support, the programs and the people in place to offer that help,” said Thomas Lane, vice president for student life and dean of students. “Your gift will help reduce the stigma and help us serve more students and their well-being.”
One-quarter of all U.S. college students have seriously considered suicide, and K-State is no exception.
- K-State students surveyed during the spring 2020 semester and prior to the pandemic, 26% said they’d thought about killing themselves at some point.
- In that same survey, 16% of students said they’d made a plan or had attempted to kill themselves.
- 57% of students surveyed in spring 2020 said they’d felt hopeless sometime in the last 30 days.
“There’s a misnomer that students are suddenly struggling with mental health because the conversations have come so much to the forefront. People have always been struggling with these concerns,” said Dr. Kodee Walls, assistant director of Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) at K-State. “The generation (of students) that are coming to college are simply willing to have the conversation. That is so incredibly valuable because when you start early having these conversations and engaging in interventions, you’re preventing long-term presenting concerns, and helping to increase grit and resilience.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated mental health issues for many. Since 2019, K-State’s CAPS has seen a 27% increase in use of their services.
“This year the K-State family has the opportunity to invest in life-transforming mental health resources for students,” said Greg Willems, president and CEO of the KSU Foundation. “We invite all K-Staters to join today’s All In for K-State day of giving. With the focus on students’ mental health resources, that generous K-State spirit has the power to save lives.”
Our 2022 All In for K-State goal
With donors’ support, K-State can expand student access to critical mental health services, increase educational and outreach programs, reduce the stigma surrounding mental health issues, and ultimately, help students flourish.