Mental Health on College Campuses
The issue of mental health has been on the rise in society. As the rate of mental health issues rise, very few people seek professional help, according to the article. These issues are becoming more and more prevalent when it comes to college students. Depression, anxiety and eating disorders are a few of the issues that many college students experience during their time in school. College years are a time of transitions, preparing for the future and finding yourself. Although it is normal to feel anxious, overwhelmed or worried, there comes a time where those feelings can go a little overboard.
Anxiety and panic disorders, depression and even alcohol/substance abuse are all different issues that college students go through. These problems could potentially get worse when transitioning to the college life and becoming more independent.
Between the many different responsibilities that college students balance, stress related to school is the most common type that impacts them. College students tend to experience stress from many different things. A lot of this stress seems to come from school. In a survey of over 1,000 college students, MentalHelp.net, an American addiction centers resource, asked the students what they believe to be their biggest sources of stress. From exams to class workload, the numbers show that many students link their stresses to school related issues.
Anxiety disorders are the most common illnesses in the United States according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. Anxiety disorders alone impact 40 million people in the U.S. of the age 18 and older. There’s a major difference when it comes to everyday anxiety and anxiety disorders. Occasional anxiety is a normal part of people’s lives, but when it begins to impact daily activities, that’s when it becomes an issue.
Mental health issues in college students can become a barrier to academic success, leading students to drop out and not finish their degrees. According to MentalHelp.net, about 58% of college students said that they experienced an overwhelming amount of anxiety within the past 12 months. This information was collected as of 2015. The National Alliance on Mental Illness is one of the nation’s largest mental health organizations. According to their website, their organization is dedicated to bettering lives in America.
A survey report from National Alliance on Mental Illness stated that 64% of students who experience mental health issues while in college end up withdrawing from school due to their mental health issues. This shows just how much students mental illnesses impact their daily activities.
For a better understanding of how mental health impacts students, I interviewed two students at Central Michigan University. Junior Alexis Thompson said that to her, mental health is way more important than some people may think. Whether it’s a severe case or a minor case, Thompson believes it is always important. “I sometimes find myself feeling anxious and stressed out over school, work and clubs while trying to maintain friendships and a social life,” Thompson said. She said that college can sometimes hinder students’ mental health because of the overwhelming loads of work.
Senior Zachary Jenkins believes that mental health awareness on college campuses needs to be looked at a lot more. “I think our university is taking a step in the right direction but it definitely needs to be taken more seriously,” Jenkins said. He believes that especially final exams and big projects that have a huge impact on students’ grades cause excessive stress, on top of the regular course workload. Jenkins mentioned that at CMU during finals week, the park library has break hours where you can destress and play with service dogs. “I think that’s a good step towards helping students but a next step would be to provide small services like this throughout the school whole school year.”
Every day students either experience, or know someone experiencing, different situations that affect their mental health. Simply coping with the issue is no way to get through what is really going on. A lot of different factors can impact how severe the stress, anxiety or other issues tend to be. According to Maryville University, students are encouraged to eat a healthy diet, get enough sleep and exercise regularly. One tip that they provided is to avoid schedules that seem overloading and stressful. Taking the effort to have time to yourself and find space to breathe and relax can help a lot.
The stigma behind mental health among society has caused people to feel ashamed and embarrassed about any issues they may have. This can prevent people from seeking out any help they need. NAMI asked the question for the Facebook community: How do you fight stigma? The responses included openly talking about mental health and issues and educating others about the struggles that people go through with mental illness. Being honest and open about these problems in society shows people they are not alone and it is okay to get help.
There are different consequences when it comes to the lack of treatment for those that need it for their mental illnesses. According to NAMI, more than 90% of people who die by committing suicide have showed signs of a mental health condition. This information was found from a review about psychological autopsies.
Colleges and universities across the nation have different ways of providing support and counseling for students. Since the issue is on the rise, different schools have different resources to offer their students.
With all of the different resources that are offered on and off campus, students are encouraged to seek them out to see if it can help them reach academic success. Taking time off of school to take care of your mental health is okay and should not be frowned upon. Self-care and therapy are also options to help students get through problems that they are going through. Communicating feelings with others is one way to help. Consulting a therapist to work through any struggles you are feeling should be encouraged and accepted and not looked at as a problem.
Learning more about mental health and awareness is important for parents, college students and even incoming college students. Mental health is just as important as physical health and should be treated so. This topic is important especially on college campuses because it is one of the leading barriers to academic success.
