More than 1.1 million Indiana residents, or one in five adults living in the state, have been diagnosed with mental illness.
To help the IU and Bloomington community better address mental health issues, the Indiana Daily Student compiled a list of information and resources for those seeking help for themselves or others.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, there are several common warning signs that someone may be experiencing depression or other mental health conditions, including:
Persistent sad, anxious or “empty” moods
Feelings of hopelessness, guilt, worthlessness or helplessness
Feelings of irritability, restlessness or frustration
Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies or other activities
Decreased energy and fatigue
Difficulty concentrating, making decisions and remembering
Changes in appetite
Physical pain such as headaches, cramps or digestive problems that do not have a clear physical cause and may not go away with treatment
Thoughts of death, suicide or suicide attempts
According to the Cleveland Clinic, the most common suicide warning signs include:
Experiencing long-lasting sadness or mood swings
Sudden calmness after a period of depression or moodiness
Withdrawing from others and avoiding social activities
Changes in personality, appearance or sleep patterns
Exhibiting dangerous or self-harmful behavior
Experiencing recent trauma or a life crisis
Being in a state of deep despair
Making preparations to end one’s life
Threatening suicide or talking about wanting to die
In many cases, suicide can be prevented by:
Being alert and recognizing the suicide warning signs
Learning the risk factors for suicide
Being alert to signs of depression or other mental health conditions
Providing caring support to those exhibiting suicide warning signs
Directly asking if the person has considered hurting themselves
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If you or someone you know has thoughts about suicide, contact the national Suicide and Crisis Lifeline to speak with a crisis specialist by calling 988 or 1-800-273-8255. For immediate assistance in emergency situations, call 911. To connect with a crisis counselor, you can text “HOME” to 741-741 through the nationwide Crisis Text Lifeline.
IU Bloomington’s Counseling and Psychological Services Crisis Counselors are also available 24/7 by calling 1-812-855-5711, option 1. You can also find IU Bloomington Emergency Contacts here. There are also emergency resources at IU East, IU Fort Wayne, IU Kokomo, IU Northwest, IUPUI, IU South Bend, IU Southeast and IUPUC.
Concerned community members can also submit a care referral to the Student Care and Resource Center.
IU now also allows students to access TimelyCare, a free, 24/7 virtual care service designed for college students. Students can access on-demand emotional support and scheduled counseling to talk about any problems they may be experiencing. Students can also access health coaching and self-care content, which allows students to access resources on healthy lifestyle behaviors and well-being topics.
IU allows students to complete online self-assessments or screenings to make sense of their feelings and symptoms and provide specific information and resources based on these assessments.
Students can also access resources and help through the IU Counseling and Psychological Services department. Students can use these resources and services for free if they have paid the student health fee. Students can access two free individual counseling sessions, group counseling, online and in-person workshops, psychiatric assessment and follow-up treatment, ADHD screening testing and more. You can call 812-855-5711 to schedule a 60-minute initial consultation.
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IU Health Bloomington Hospital offers access to outpatient care, therapists, social service agencies and physicians. Bloomington Meadows Hospital offers inpatient and outpatient care and can be reached at 1-800-972-4410. Centerstone Bloomington offers psychiatric care, addiction treatment, crisis and urgent care and housing services. Centerstone Bloomington can be reached at 1-877-467-3123.
Additionally, IU has created three task forces to address community mental health as part of their mental health initiative strategic plan. The task force on climate and culture plans to increase awareness of services and resources available to improve mental health at IU. Their planned action items include training faculty, graduate students, resident assistance and other staff to recognize students who need assistance. The task force on services and support plans to organize a new group to ensure basic wellness services are available at all IU campuses. This task force also plans to enhance services and programs that focus on specific groups at increased risk of mental health issues. The task force on policies and protocols will aim to create or improve IU policies related to mental health, such as reviewing policies for financial aid and tuition that may be sources of distress. More information on the task forces and their recommendations is available here.
