I am writing to express my concerns about ongoing practices at the LSU Mental Health Service (MHS), particularly regarding the allocation of resources and the misalignment between available scientific expertise and the care being provided to students.

One specific concern is the decision to invest in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy, including funding staff training for this practice. EMDR, which was originally developed to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), remains a controversial approach, with training costing hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Research suggests that its specific eye movement component offers little or no added therapeutic value compared to established, evidence-based treatments for PTSD such as Prolonged Exposure (PE) or Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT). Given the limited funding available for student mental health, LSU must prioritize interventions that are both cost-effective and supported by rigorous scientific research. Modalities such as PE/CPT as well as other cognitive behavior therapies have strong empirical track records and are more affordable, broadly applicable treatments.

However, concerns about science and LSU MHS extend beyond just EMDR. There is a significant gap between the scientific and clinical expertise available within LSU’s academic departments and the day-to-day practices of MHS. For example, LSU has multiple faculty members with expertise in suicide-focused treatment—an area of critical importance that can mean the difference between life and death for our students. While these evidence-based approaches have been successfully implemented elsewhere on campus and in the community, including at Our Lady of the Lake, they have not been integrated into the LSU MHS itself.

LSU students deserve the highest standard of mental health care, grounded in scientific evidence. I urge LSU MHS to reassess its priorities and for LSU students to advocate for access to services clearly grounded in science.

Ashlyn Runk is a third-year graduate student in the Clinical Psychology PhD program at LSU.