College responds to the mental health crisis

By Emma Spreckels 

Friday, Feb. 20. 2026 

FARMINGDALE, NY-The life of a college student can be both exciting and challenging. Balancing courseloads, discovering independence and navigating relationships are becoming more stressful for students, and have contributed to the rising mental health crisis among students. In 2024 the American College Health Association (ACHA) College Student Mental Health Statistics surveyed fifty-four thousand undergraduate students of different backgrounds and identities. The study showed close to 77 percent of students experienced some type of moderate or severe stress, 54 percent experienced loneliness, and 30 percent experienced suicidal behavior. Addressing the mental health crisis and providing support for students has become a priority for many colleges.  

Governor Kathy Hochul recognized the need for more mental health support on college campuses. On February14, 2024 she announced that State University of New York campuses would invest $10 Million to support SUNY Students, faculty, and staff. Hochul said, “college can be a stressful and overwhelming time, and this funding will expand mental health services on college campuses so students can focus on just being students.” This funding will expand services to 28 campuses, support more than 200 thousand students and build on its Statewide Tele-Psychiatry Network and new tele-counseling option for community colleges. 

Farmingdale State College has answered the call for more support for students by offering leading-edge virtual reality (VR) therapy for students. FSC Pioneers VR therapy helps enhance its behavioral and cognitive care, increases treatment effectiveness, and expands relaxation techniques. Campus Mental Health Services Director Andrew Berger, PhD, ABPP states, “our ability to expose somebody we’re working with to a feared thing can be limited. VR became seen as a very special opportunity…a new channel for treatment of fear disorders and anxiety disorders.” VR therapy is still uncommon in college clinical settings, but Campus Mental Health Services Assistant Director Shane Owens states that FSC is equipped to offer the state-of-the-art treatment for many common fears. 

Therapy sessions can get costly, and with Cost and Insurance Coverage a patient can spend anywhere from $100 to $200. Many health insurance plans offer mental health coverage, but not all therapists accept insurance. FSC provides free services, and confidentiality standards are always provided. CMHS offers counseling for individuals, couples and groups with meeting times arranged to fit student schedules with a wide range of services from anxiety and stress management and relationship issues to depression and substance abuse and use. FSC Mental Health Services staff members are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If a patient is in crisis after hours, they can call campus police and be rerouted directly to their therapist instead of a crisis hotline.  First-time callers are connected to Director Andrew Berger or Assistant Director Shane Owens. FSC provides students with a calendar of mental health events for each semester.