By Grayson Sparr
Mental health concerns among college students continue to rise as studies show that 60% of college students suffer from at least one mental health problem.
Salter Arms, a sophomore at Brown University, said being away from his family in Michigan is difficult.
“Not being able to see my family and my mom especially is very hard for me and with such a large workload it’s one of the first times I've really had problems with anxiety.” Salter said that while anxiety has affected him, he doesn’t feel the need to consider seeking professional help at this time.
According to the American Psychological Organization, mental health problems on college campuses continue to worsen every year especially with the aftermath of Covid-19.
Sam Parks, a senior at Stonehill College, said juggling schoolwork while playing Division 1 baseball was difficult, but he found a way to cope. “I feel overwhelmed sometimes, but that doesn’t mean I need to meet with someone.” Parks said he suffers from anxiety which amplifies before games, making him very nervous and on edge. While he doesn’t feel the need to seek help, Parks advocated for mental health awareness and increased, more accessible resources for those who want it. “I wouldn’t know where to go or who to go to if I did have a problem.”
Universities around the nation have tried to combat mental health issues and have resources available to students by hiring more staff like on campus therapists and holding group therapy sessions for students to connect with others going through similar struggles (Abrams, 2022).
Gabe Kravitz, a sophomore at Richmond University said that he has suffered from anxiety for years, specifically worsening his freshman year. He said meditation and breathing exercises helped him. While he didn’t seek help from counselors at the school and tried to figure it out on his own, he said being away from home for the first time was very hard for him and he “wasn’t as independent as [he] thought”.
With school being an often overwhelming stressor, “academic and physiological changes makes college students more susceptible to psychological problems and disorders such as depression, anxiety, and self-injury” (Han, et al., 2024).
Teachers and professors are now being asked to help universities by learning how to recognize and reach out to students noticeably struggling in their classrooms. Professors are being taught that certain changes in behavior such as missing classes or assignments shouldn’t be immediately punished but rather a conversation to determine if something deeper is happening in the student’s personal or academic life.
With the increase of social media and screen time among college students, the harmful effects of cyberbullying and confidence damage from comparing with the false realities depicted on social platforms may be a direct cause as to why many young adults are struggling with anxiety and depression. With mental health becoming more socially acceptable and destigmatized, more resources have become available and more students are thankfully utilizing them to seek help rather than suffering in silence.
Mental health advocate Matthew Kaplan and CEO/Co-founder of PeaceLove, a leading expressive arts organization working to destigmatize mental illness through creativity, said it is important to prioritize mental wellness. He said “mental health is different from any other illness in the fact that it is invisible, and many people disguise it so well that they suffer alone.” He said with PeaceLove working to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health and normalizing seeking help, he said there is a need in to find ways to feel better.
Kaplan said he struggles with his mental health and his cousin and other Co-founder openly discuss their battle with OCD. Together, they made it their goal to spread awareness and help others struggling to find peace of mind. He said “Our mission is to make talking about mental health cool and not something to be ashamed of but instead something that makes you unique.”
PeaceLove trains frontline workers in expressive arts workshops that offer people the tools to paint, draw, create, and “do whatever they want” to feel better.
“I see the impact creativity has on everyone who takes part in these workshops and it is so incredibly fulfilling to see others experiencing the power of checking in on themselves in a way that is often easier than talking,” he said.
Kaplan said college students and those in that demographic are afraid to seek help.
“I have worked with many college students and it is so hard for them to come forward but once they do it’s like a weight is lifted off their shoulders and they realize they aren’t the only ones struggling with mental health. Everyone deserves to be heard, understood, and feel good,” he said.
References
Abrams, Z. (2022, October). Student Mental Health is in crisis. campuses are rethinking their approach. Monitor on Psychology. https://www.apa.org/monitor/2022/10/mental-health-campus-care
Han, R., Xu, T., Shi, Y., & Liu, W. (2024). The risk role of defeat on the Mental Health of college students: A moderated mediation effect of academic stress and interpersonal relationships. International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, 26(9), 731–744. https://doi.org/10.32604/ijmhp.2024.054884
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