College Students and Mental Health

 

Image Courtesy of the Cleveland Clinic

As college students, it is hard balancing school, personal life, and other challenges that arise throughout the day. 


However, these daily tasks can be even more challenging when a student's mental health is involved.


According to Mary Ellen Flannery, a senior writer for the neaToday website, a study was done to see the number of college students that hold anxiety and depression. The study showed from over 90,000 students across 133 U.S. campuses that 44 percent of students reported symptoms of depression, 37 percent showed symptoms of anxiety, and 15 percent had thoughts of suicide.


Why is it unrecognized that college students are in a crisis?


These are the primitive years for young adults. But it seems that they are spending it on stress causing setbacks for their studies. It is said in a study by the National Library of Medicine that there is a problem students face with reaching out for help when it comes to their mental health. Traditional and non-traditional college students report that they do not seek help because of little availability or because they are scared of being judged. 


Mental health has been a heightened topic amongst universities within the past few years. Especially, with Covid as a factor, mental health has plummeted and has caused more concern for universities. Colleges are now taking more steps to present options for students to seek the help they need. 


How are colleges giving students options to take care of their mental health?


Many colleges are now offering on-campus counseling. This is a great way for students to reach out and address their mental health concerns with someone. Universities are also boosting mood with design. Believe it or not, building designs can affect how people feel, act, and make sense of their environments. Colors such as green can create relaxing energy, or the color red can make people feel energized. Designs of rooms as well as artwork being displayed can also create a feeling of safety for students


These are just a few examples of how Colleges are embarking on a journey to create a place for students to treat and maintain their mental health. However, college can be a tough period in life for people so it is important that they feel they can receive help when they are trying to create a future for themselves.





 

Comments

  1. Nick MangoneDecember 11, 2023 at 4:22 PM

    Hi Kristen! I really liked how you were able to show how mental health is really affecting college students, especially ones now after going through covid and having to deal with all that. I liked how you show sources of different studies and were able to then post solutions to what you could do and what universities are already doing. I felt I learned from this blog and liked it a lot.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Nate St. BernardDecember 12, 2023 at 9:27 AM

    Hey Kristen! This was a very interesting read and it is a really good topic! I think it is very important for people to focus on their mental health especially at a time like now when everyone is busy studying for finals. Students can get too caught up in their school work and forget to take care of themselves mentally. I also find your point about building designs very interesting, I was unaware building designs and colors had the ability to improve someones mental health! Overall this was very interesting, great job!

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