IowaWatch (https://www.iowawatch.org/tag/mental-illness/)
Beginning and attending college or graduate school can be a major life transition for many students. It especially becomes difficult, however, for students with mental illness who move away from home and care designed to deal with their specific health care problem.
New legislation offers hope but many Iowans continue to struggle to find appropriate mental health care in the state. Simon Ertzinger, of Cedar Rapids, is one of them.
Our leaders like to remind us, and the rest of the world, too, that the United States is the most powerful nation on Earth. Yet, the events of the past week are a reminder that the U.S. appears to be incapable of dealing effectively with some events that occur in this country. When news flashed around the globe that a United States congressman had been gunned down by a sniper at a community baseball field outside of Washington, D.C., the first thing many commentators and members of Congress said were along the lines of, “Our thoughts and prayers go out to Congressman Steve Scalise.”
Randy Evans
STRAY THOUGHTS
Randy Evans is the executive director of the Iowa Freedom of Information Council. He is a former editorial page editor and assistant managing editor of The Des Moines Register. Visit the Iowa Freedom of Information Council website at: http://ifoic.org/
It wasn’t long before the finger-pointing began.
Facing intense academic demands and ever-present peer comparisons through social media, an increasing number of Iowa high school students grapple with mental health issues and enduring problems previous generations seldom confronted, an IowaWatch High School Journalism Project has found.
Iowans with mental illness are being stranded at hospitals for months after being cleared to for release, according to a recent Des Moines Register report. In an IowaWatch interview, Register reporter Tony Leys said he heard a comment that led to this story during his coverage of other health care issues.
Mental illness is the most common invisible illness students deal with when trying to get a college education. Students with mental illness struggle when academic pressures get high, adding to their stress levels.