His friends all told him to seek help, so Virginia Commonwealth University student Anirban Mahanty decided to find a therapist. He asked VCU, and the university referred him to three off-campus services that were all overwhelmed because of the pandemic.
Searching for assistance was a challenge. Feeling isolated, he struggled to complete daily tasks and gave up several times. After a month, he finally found a good therapist and got the help he needed.
The mental health needs of college students are rising. At VCU, about 1 in 10 students seeks mental health care, a figure that has risen about 5% every year during the past decade…