The April 20 BP well blowout in the Gulf of Mexico has not yet affected University students enough to seek counseling from the Student Health Center’s Mental Health Service, but that fact may change as the long-term impacts become more visible.
“Of all of our initial clients coming in [this semester] no one has identified the oil spill or economic issues as a problem,” said Drayton Vincent, Mental Health Service director.
Vincent said students are likely still affected by the oil disaster but may not come to Mental Health Service until long-term effects are seen and other avenues for relief — like talking with family and friends — are exhausted.
“When we went through [Hurricane] Katrina, we didn’t see Katrina-related stuff for a couple of semesters,” Vincent said. “When the reality of how Katrina affected peoples’ lives in the long term set in, then we saw some students come in around those issues. Same thing is true with this situation.”
Mental Health Service aids students “in their personal growth and development and by enhancing their mental and emotional well-being,” according to the department’s website.
The International Association of Counseling Services, Inc. accredits the Mental Health Service, which is available to full-time students who paid the Student Health Center fee.
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Contact Nicholas Persac at [email protected]