AMES, Iowa — A report from Iowa State University police showed an increase in service calls for things like mental health and sexual assault calls between August 2022 and August 2023. However, ISU police say that's not necessarily a bad thing.
"It's important for students to understand that it's not always your fault if you're going through a hard time," said Adeline Meyer, an Iowa State student who serves as president of the school's National Alliance on Mental Illness chapter.
Nearly 60 percent of college students meet the criteria for at least one mental health problem, according to the American Psychological Association.
"Mental health services continue to increase," said ISU Police Chief Michael Newton. "And unfortunately, police are 24/7. So we're the ones that a lot of times end up getting sent to those calls for service."
According to the department's monthly activity reports, ISU police responded to just two mental health calls in August 2022. In comparison, police responded to 17 mental health calls in August 2023, a 750 percent increase just one year later.
"When people see the statistics they become alarmed. . . but that means people understand their mental health and understand that they need help," Newton said.
Newton believes one reason for the increase is rising awareness surrounding mental health resources, giving students the confidence to reach out and ask for help.
"The fact that people are willing to come forward gives us hope, right, that we can eliminate that stigma; that we can get people to seek the resources and help that they need," Newton said.
While Meyer sees the positive in the increase in calls, she believes the numbers bring up a larger issue.
"It's definitely great, that students are calling and getting help. But these might signify something that needs to be handled, because the police are kind of like a high step on the ladder," Meyer said. "There's people you can talk to before that. So it definitely invokes a sense of emergency to me, because that's what the police are there for: emergencies."
Meyer says it's important colleges continue to work to provide students with equitable access to mental health care so that every student has a bright future to look forward to.