Top Universities Collaborate with Listeners On Call to Address Student Needs for Accessible Mental Health Support

Student Body Presidents at Texas A&M, Syracuse, Purdue, and Vanderbilt to Offer Affordable, Anonymous Phone-Based Listening Services for Students

Style Magazine Newswire | 9/25/2020, 2:54 p.m.

Listeners On Call, the pioneer in Consumer Listening Services, partners with student body presidents of four top universities representing over 140,000 students, Texas A&M, Syracuse, Purdue, and Vanderbilt, to provide mental health and well-being support to students. The students can access subsidized and low-cost calls with trained Listeners who can relate to students based on shared experiences. This move by the student body presidents of each school in support of student mental health will help to reduce stigma and provide support to young people navigating an unprecedented back-to-school season.

Given the growing need for mental health support among college students, paired with complications of providing in-person services during the pandemic, Listeners On Call will fill a critical gap and provide more students with connection and relief.

Listeners On Call promotes mental well-being by connecting Callers to trained Listeners with whom they feel compatible with on topics such as College Stress, Needing to Vent, Social Isolation and Race Relations. Listeners Cn Call also provides the student leaders valuable insights into the challenges faced by students through robust and anonymous data analytics and reporting.

“Over the last few months, it has become clear that we’re facing a new wave of mental health challenges as universities struggle to meet the skyrocketing demand from students,” said Cole Egger, Co-Founder and CEO of Listeners On Call. “At Listeners On Call we hope to ease the back-to-school burden on the entire ecosystem -- students, parents, and faculty. Listeners On Call is an on-demand, scalable, and cost-effective mental health service that helps students connect from anywhere, anytime, with someone who has a related personal experience and is ready to listen.”

A study from Dartmouth University this July found an immediate negative impact on the emotional well-being of college students due to the Covid-19 pandemic and its social implications. In addition, according to a recent survey by Active Minds, 80% of the 2,086 students surveyed reported that COVID-19 has “negatively impacted” their mental health. 55% of those students do not know where to go for support but stated that tools that promote social connection are most helpful in caring for their mental health.

“Students are accustomed to juggling a heavy load at school, but the demands only continue to grow. While Texas A&M students are resilient and resourceful, they are not immune to struggles with mental health,” said Eric Mendoza, Student Body President at Texas A&M University, the largest student body in the country. “Our partnership with Listeners On Call provides students with another great tool in their toolbox to help as they navigate the evolving demands from wherever they may be. I encourage students to reach out for help whenever they need it.”