Dear Editor,In a recent article by Samander and Harman, the authors presented the role of ethnicity and
race in anxiety treatment of adult patients who were diagnosed with anxiety disorders.
As a professor in a Catholic University, I have experienced counseling students who are
suffering from anxiety disorder, stress, burnout, and other mental health concerns. Although
minority of these college students exhibit higher levels of distress caused by the COVID-19
pandemic, there is a little research on how teachers, counselors, and physicians protect these
minority students in times of crisis. It is very important to acknowledge that most of the
minority students have underlying issues outside of their academic workload, which they may
already be struggling with prior of the COVID-19 pandemic. Most of these issues cannot be
resolve without counseling and psychosocial interventions.A recent survey conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO) revealed that the global
prevalence of anxiety and depression increased by a massive 25% in the first year of the
COVID-19 pandemic, with young people the worst hit.
First, a major reason for the increase is the unprecedented stress caused by the social
isolation resulting from the pandemic. Linked to this were constraints on people’s ability to
work, seek support from loved ones, and engage in their communities. Second, like so many
other things in our society, good mental health is inequitably distributed. Surveys have
repeatedly shown that mental health problems are more common in minority populations. This
mental health inequity has been greatly exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic on LGBTQIA+,
blacks, Asians, indigenous people, and people of color. Third, among college students, those
from minority populations have more factors that are associated with poor mental health. These
factors of mental health include poverty, childhood neglect, discrimination, housing
insecurity, food insecurity, and loneliness. In the Philippine context, there are several
issues and concerns such as the prevalence of fake news, hate speech online, cancel culture
and bashing, discrimination and stigma against the minority, these factors promote anxiety,
depression, and other mental health problems.Mental health awareness continues to spread across colleges and universities. But for
minority students, there are several challenges and barriers that can hinder their ability to
receive counseling and psychosocial interventions.
As with the many minority cultures, indigenous peoples do not participate in counseling
frequently because of the stigma associated with mental illness. Given the experiences of my
students in campus, some approaches for protecting the minority populations are proposed.
First, there must be a comprehensive program within campus to protect the rights of these
minorities and to advance mental health equity among college students. Second, rather than
slogans, testimonies from minority students who have had transformative experiences with their
teachers and counselors feel more inviting. The use of stories and narratives can enhance
engagement between students and counselors. Third, an inclusive space for diversity within
campus may mitigate some barriers. The implementation of “Safe Spaces Act” in the Philippines
is highly encouraged. Lastly, the use of technology to provide mental health emergencies would
be of great help. Digital mental health tools hold clear promise for advancing mental health
equity among college students.The impact of minoritization of students with mental health concerns studying in a university
needs to be further research and explicitly addressed by policy-makers and key-decision makers
within universities.