The Fordham Ram recently sent out an anonymous survey to gauge the climate surrounding mental health on the Rose Hill campus and student experiences with mental health issues. We received 176 responses. Out of these responses, 147 came from FCRH students and 29 from GSB students, with the majority of responses coming from the class of 2017 and 2018, and 73 percent of the responses from female students, 26 percent from male students and 2 percent from non-binary students.
The responses were overwhelming, proving that mental health is something that is not talked about enough at Fordham. Based on the data, almost all Fordham students know someone who has a mental illness. Sixty-one percent of students have a mental health issue, 27 percent of those being self-diagnosed, while 10 percent of students are not sure. Similar to national statistics, students overwhelmingly marked anxiety and depression as the most likely mental health issue they face. Eighty-three percent of students have experienced anxiety, most experiencing it often or sometimes.
When asked about the stigma behind mental illness, over 90 percent of students believe there is a stigma attached to mental illness. In regards to Fordham and its Counseling and Psychological Services (CPS), most students know CPS is a resource they can contact and 62 percent of students have actually utilized the services at CPS.
According to the 2013-2014 Counseling and Psychological Services Client Satisfaction Survey, 79 percent of respondents felt that counseling services improved their well-being and functioning, and 93 percent reported a positive counseling experience.
