Improving College Student Mental Health
Everyone feels anxious and stressed at times. However, when these feelings become a common every day ordeal, they can have devastating effects on one’s mental health. In recent years, the number of college students who are saying they have mental illnesses has been steadily increasing. Not everyone is going to be willing to get help, and the result of that could be a drop in academic performance and overall unhappiness. What colleges need to do is provide means of helping those who need it and ways to keep stress levels down to prevent devastating mental disorders from developing.
Over the years there has been a slow but steady increase in the number of college students claiming they are suffering from mental disorders such as depression, eating disorders, and social anxiety. According to research gathered by the National Alliance on Mental Illness across multiple college campuses, “One in four students have a diagnosable illness…40% do not seek help…80% feel overwhelmed
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The Community for Accredited Online Schools has an article that proposes ideas such as “canine therapy, nap halls, and stress and anxiety peer groups” to help decrease stress that students may be under ("Student Mental Health Awareness”). Some colleges bring animals to campus during crucial stressful points in the semester, such as finals week, to help ease their minds as they play with dogs and cats. There can also be workshops that students attend weekly that focus on helping them overcome mental disorders such as depression and anxiety. Instructors should be more informed and more mindful that their students could be suffering in silence with a potential disorder. Even acknowledging that mental illness exists can be enough to help a student in need. They don’t need to think they’re crazy, they need to know their illness is real and that there are many ways to help treat
The policy analysis is based on the increasing numbers of cases on mental health issues in college and university campuses. The topic is supported by evidential data collected from various studies and peer-reviewed articles that show the statistical prevalence of the most common forms of mental health issues seen among the students, which shows that the prevalence rate is ever-increasing. The methodologies recommended for implementation include increased availability of resources and facilitating the accessibility of these resources through overcoming barriers. Some policy options have been suggested for consideration and recommendations have been made accordingly. The fiscal impact has also been considered and suggestions
Many of these students, like Avery, may belive that there really is no light at the end of the tunnel, or that they are “just gonna be that weird depressed guy” and “should just accept it”. Not only is this belife self-destroying but it is also untrue. It is of vital importance that students suffering with mental illness are made aware that what they are going through is not permanent and that there are resources available for them, something many univercities and colleges need to make more
Depression was once believed to affect mainly adults for various reasons. It was hardly ever seen in minors or college students. Today depression is more common in younger populations mainly college students. There are many things that can trigger depression in college students, such as the environment, anxiety, and the fear of failure. All these things can contribute to depression in college students and sometimes cannot be seen. Many college students will never seek help, and many wont ever admit that they struggle with it.
A mental disorder, or illness, is defined as “a mental… condition marked primarily by sufficient disorganization of personality, mind, and emotions to seriously impair the normal psychological functioning of the individual” (Merriam & Webster, 2014). Mental illness affects approximately 1 of 4 people in the United States over the age of 18, or 26.2%. Of that 26.2%, six percent of them suffer from a mental disorder that is considered serious and 45% of them have characteristics that meet the criteria for more than one mental disorder. On any given day, 6.7% of United States citizens are suffering from depression, 1.5% are suffering from dysthymic disorder, 2.6% are exhibiting signs and symptoms of bipolar disorder, 1.1% are diagnosed with schizophrenia, 18.1% are suffering from anxiety, and 13.8% of the population are battling conditions such as eating disorders, attention deficient hyperactivity disorder, or a personality disorder (National Institute of Mental Health, 2014).
There are so many types of mental illnesses that affect people every day. When some people think of mental illnesses they think of the ones that would cause people to have physical symptoms as well, but that’s untrue, there are many more that you would never know anyone has if you were to see them on the street. As defined by the 2008 encyclopedia “a mental illness is any disease of the mind or brain that seriously affects a person’s ability or behavior. Symptoms of a mental illness may include extreme moods, such as excessive sadness or anxiety, or a decreased ability to think clearly or remember well.” A mentally ill person has severe symptoms that damage the person’s ability to function in everyday activities and situations. Every nation and every economic level can be affected by a mental illness. In the United States alone about 3% of the population has severe mental illness and to add to that number about 40% of people will experience a type of mental illness at least once in their lives. Some cases of mental illnesses can go away on their own, but some cases are so severe that they require professional treatment. There is so much more available to help people recover from their symptoms than in the past.
According to an article by Josephine Marcotty in Minneapolis’ Star Tribune from April 10, college students lead “hyper-enriched lives,” said Greg Kneser, dean of students at St. Olaf College. That’s what makes this generation of students distinct from its predecessors, he said. That is why more students who cannot cope with these feelings end up at college counseling centers with “increasingly serious mental-health problems.” 15 to 20 percent of college students nationally were diagnosed with depression. The second most common diagnosis was severe anxiety. According to the article, it is not unusual for mental-health issues to become apparent during a student’s college years.
You probably recognize those few mental disorders, most likely because they 're a few of the many common ones. What about Apotemnophilia & Body Integrity Disorder, Dysthymia, and even Stockholm Syndrome? They 're quite a mouth full, and some of the uncommon ones. As you can see, I 've only named six of more than 200 different classified mental disorders. Did you know 1 in 5 Canadians will suffer a mental health disorder in their lifetime? There are about 30 students in here. That means 6 people in this classroom will suffer and be affected by a mental illness. That 's a pretty large number. To expand on the picture, let 's move to a wider variety. There 's around 2000 students that attend this school, maybe more or maybe less. That means around 400 students will acquire a mental illness in their lifetime. Now I think you get the
Academic pressure is one of the more obvious reasons as to why suicides and mental illnesses like depression occur in many college institutions. Most colleges have become, and continue to become, more competitive each and every year. This stress alone can send the most intelligent student into a spiral of depression very quickly. Not only is there the pressure of competing between peers, but there may also be an immense pressure expressed from parents as well (Depression, Suicide Rising among College Students.)
In 2010, the President Obama announced that the Affordable Care Act would extend its coverage to preventative mental health care coverage. This coverage would include depression screenings for adults and behavioral screenings for children and adolescents. In addition to this the President announced that the 2014 federal budget would include $130 million dedicated to aiding teachers in identifying the signs and risk factors of mental illness in their students, and r...
The mental health assessment is a crucial part in everyday nursing care as it evaluates an individual’s mental condition to assess for risk factors of mental illnesses and provide optimal care and treatment. Mental health is described as “a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.” (CDC) If the patient not mentally healthy, they can develop mentally illnesses, which can affect treatment and the disease process of physical ailments because without mental health a person cannot be completely healthy. “Suicide Risk Assessment in High Risk Adolescents” is a nursing article that outlines suicide risk factors and prevention strategies for assist nurses in performing mental health assessments. Suicide, the act of
Mental health is defined as “a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community” (World Health Organization, 2014). Mental health is a critical component to a student’s academic success and many post-secondary students are suffering from mental health issues. Every university across Canada is dealing with major mental health concerns. (McCloskey & Meissner, 2013). Although it may not be clear where students can get help, services are available in each community.
Mental health is just as important as physical health in a person’s life. Mental health is critical to a person’s well-being, their ability to live a productive life and to keep a healthy family and interpersonal relationships. Mental health does not just affect the mind it also affects people’s physical health. Some physical health diseases can cause a mental health disorder and vice versa. Mental health disorders are associated with the occurrence, development, and outcome of some of the today’s most chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. When people go untreated from a mental health disorder are at a higher risk for many unhealthy behaviors such as alcohol and drug use, violent behavior, and suicide.
College students face strenuous workloads daily, causing them to feel more pressure about their schoolwork and academics and resulting in anxiousness. About 50% of college students today are suffering from depression, a larger number than most believe, but not all reveal that they have a depressive issue (Deroma, Leach, Leverett 325). Researchers suggest that academic stress plays a big role in a college student’s depression. Most people know that college is a lot harder than high school ...
The topic that I choose is mental health education for teenagers in school. Mental health is a person’s condition with regard to their psychological and emotional well-being. In schools we have classes focusing upon the physical and educational well-being of students but has ignored the mental well-being. The lack of mental health education results in people not knowing how to properly interact with mental illness both in others and with themselves. Not only is the knowledge of how to deal with mental illness an issue but the stigmatization that has derived from the lack of understanding creates a negative environment in confronting these illnesses.
Mental health refers to the state of individuals psychologically, emotionally and socially. Mental health affects a person’s emotions, feelings, thoughts, and sections when exposed to different situations. Furthermore, mental health is responsible for a person’s reaction to stress and other social conditions. Generally, mental health affects how a person relates to others and their ability to understand and interact with them. Therefore, problems that affect a person’s mental health affect the abilities to socialize, their feelings, moods, reaction to situations. The person experiencing mental health problem may portray different behaviors when confronted with different issues. Mental health issues have several