Cause #2: The stigma that will follow the student if they seek help.
Most university students feel the need to live up to certain expectations that society, their school, their family, their colleagues, and they themselves set for them. For some, these expectations can be a good motivator, but for others this can contribute to numerous mental health issues. Asking for any kind of assistance or taking a break on a journey to reaching a goal can be seen by others as a sign of weakness or even failure. Students know that being able to live up to the expectations that are set in place for them will not only keep their image and reputation pristine, but it can also benefit their careers. School faculty, especially professors, are more inclined to help students network or write good recommendations for the students that can prove they are able to meet their expectations, or exceed their expectation. Colleagues are also more likely to seek out and network with those who meet or exceed expectations in place. A Stanford student that was escorted to a hospital for his mental health said that, "'I remember just the stares I got from being escorted by police, because I’m sure people thought I was a criminal'" (Aslanian and Roth 2021).
Cause #3: Universities violate laws that protect students from being discriminated against for their mental health.
"...under the Americans with Disabilities Act as well as section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, universities are required to make reasonable accommodations to allow these students to succeed even when they have disabilities" (Napp and Nahata). Yet yearly, universities face hundreds of official complaints that they are violating these laws. An example that many believe to be discriminatory against those who are seeking health for mental health is leave-of-absence policies. The obstacles that students face that are tied to the leave of absence policies include but are not limited to, the school making it difficult for them to return to campus when they are ready, and how their leave of absence is shown on their transcript.
Cause #4: Guardians being left in the dark.
Although the privacy of what a student discusses with their counselor, therapist, or any school faculty is important, most guardians are completely in the dark of the struggles the student goes through until it is too late for the student to be saved. Trust between the student and whom they are discussing their issues with is important, but sometimes the person who they are discussing their issues with may not be enough of a support system for the student. The guardians of a person’s life can be their biggest support system. Although some schools state, "...that staff who were not clinicians cannot be held responsible for suicide attempts by students or for notifying parents..." most clinicians still do not notify guardians of their child's mental health (Napp and Natasha).
CST for Cause: Call to Family, Community, and Participation
Call to family, community, and participation is the right and responsibility to participate in all aspects of human society and connects to the social condition that allows all the people in a community to reach their full human potential. This CST can be tied to subsidiarity which is how governments and large organizations exist only to serve the good of human beings, families, and communities. In the cause of this social issue, call to family, community, and participation can not be seen. Large institutions, the universities, are not serving the good of others when they are not prioritizing the health of their students. In most of their actions such as their leave of absence policy it can be seen that they are actually trying to prioritize their own reputation. This makes it so that the social condition that allows all people in a community to reach their full human potential is nonexistent. Colleagues and friends feeding into the stigma around mental health also contradicts this CST specifically because they are failing to participate in all aspects of human society. Being a good student is one thing, but it is another to also be a good person.