Throughout my time at UO, I have transferred doctors, therapists and pharmacies repeatedly. The UO Health Center has been my best bet, and I haven’t had much trouble with them, but it’s difficult to access their counseling sessions because students have limited free sessions before they start charging insurance. Paying out of pocket was not an option due to price uncertainty, which I’ve heard has been a problem for many students.
It took weeks to initiate doctors sending over my mental health information, which I don’t think UO health center ever really received because the psychiatrist didn’t have any of my information. It was several months until I secured a full-time therapist outside of the UO health center in Eugene since I only had a couple of free sessions left. Every counseling center/organization in Eugene was scheduled months in advance because all of the therapists were booked.
Was it my insurance or was I not trying hard enough? Neither was the case. Do they not have enough time and space to fit me in to receive mental health care? That seemed to be the reason. There is a decline in psychiatrists throughout the country, even in Eugene and Lane County. While UO health services are helpful for some, it doesn’t seem like they are set up to accommodate every student on campus.
I figured I wasn’t the only one who felt this way, so I created a form for students to share their stories when it came to accessing support, counseling, psychiatry and other forms of assistance for mental health. Here is what they said:
Aniyha Satchell, a UO sophomore, said, “It has been hard for my wife to get access to mental health services in Eugene, mostly because of the extremely far-out scheduling times. It’s difficult to plan that far ahead and to keep a consistent schedule.”
UO junior Anthony Bookout talked about their experience with overpriced support from our health center. “In October, I was going through a lot and needed some type of therapy but did not want to go off campus because of the price. I called the mental health services, and was charged $100 just for asking ‘Where do I go for the services?’ It was completely unprofessional, and I ended up never going to the therapy I needed at the time.”
Yogi Khor, a UO senior, elaborated on similar complications. He said, “I’ve never really tried to seek help with my mental health, but I did look at the UO Health Center website once when I felt depressed and tried to schedule an appointment, but the procedure was complicated, so I just decided to heal by myself.”
Securing self-help is an ongoing struggle, and the process is time-consuming and almost belittling, leading you to feel that you’re never going to find the help you’re seeking.
Stacy Weiner, staff writer for the Association of American Medical Colleges News, conducted an interview with renowned psychiatrists. “We have a chronic shortage of psychiatrists, and it’s going to keep growing,” says Saul Levin, MD, CEO and medical director of the American Psychiatric Association. “People can’t get care. It affects their lives, their ability to work, to socialize or even to get out of bed.”
There are many factors at play in explaining why people struggle to secure proper care, including the networking between clinics and insurance companies, the students whose insurance isn’t in the network, the same shortage of counselors as psychiatrists, the rise in prices for medications and appointment waitlists. The list goes on.
You are not alone. Knowing that this campus has students that cannot afford what the health center provides, they should add a couple of extra free therapy sessions for students, support networks and therapy groups should be advertised more, and of course, us ducks have to be there for one another through dark times.
While the UO health center is accessible, it’s hard to navigate at times and for some students expensive. There are free group therapy sessions here at UO made for students on campus that are a start. A few of them are Creating Health Relationships, Living with Loss Support Group, Healing from Family Changes and Sista Circle.
If group therapy doesn’t work for you, then there are several hotlines available to call if you are in a moment of panic. The National Suicide Prevention Hotline number is 988. The American Psychological Association provides a list of numbers and resources to call for mental health emergencies or support. A local hotline in Eugene is Cahoots.
Access to mental health is a serious problem for students at the University of Oregon and despite accessing that care we should support one another when we are struggling, and remember that even though this is a difficult process we can find the help we need.
