An Epidemic Of Anguish Summary

In the United States only 50% of public school students receive any education on mental health issues prior to college. Yet, the years between middle school and college have the highest percentage of United States youth suffering from mental illnesses. Of college students who were surveyed across the country, 50% reported their mental health as being below average or poor, and 30% reported problems with schoolwork due to mental health issues.

Mental health among college students has been proven to be a relevant social issue that our society faces. There are certainly a few different institutions that play a large role within the development of this social issue. The first institution, and the primary institution at play with this issue, is the higher education system. In terms of mental health and having access to resources, college students haven’t always been as lucky as they are today. One study in 2007 explains the story of Junior at Syracuse University (Kravets, 3081). Anita Rutman had a history of mental health issues; she even found herself being admitted to a mental health hospital. One morning in February, she threw herself off of the eighth floor of Boland Hall and landed on a patio and fortunately lived. However, her attempt stemmed from the university sending her letter three days prior that informed Anita that the school was planning to dismiss her because of her suicidal tendencies (Kravets, 3081). Anita later sued Syracuse for ten million dollars for malpractice and negligence in handling her condition.

The text Campus Crisis by Kate Lanau addresses a serious social problem that occurred at Cornell University in 2010, where some students committed suicide due to various psychological problems caused by various reasons, including family pressure, Simple case that caused these fatalities.

Being a student in college or university, every new day will bring new challenges. Being in a post-secondary institute a lot of students will not only face academic pressure, but also pressure from family, financial situations, and peers. Some will have a better way of juggling everything to make it work, but a few will go through anxiety, depression and stress. Recognizing the symptoms for these disorders, acknowledging the fact that you might need help can be difficult, since views of your family and friends can play a big part in your life. But what we need to understand is that recognizing that you need help, and actively getting help is important in order to deal with issues like anxiety, depression

The article “College Student Suicide”, written by Deborah J. Taub, and Jalonda Thompson, claims that suicide in college students is an issue that needs a new strategy for prevention. The research behind this article emphasizes what emotions college students are experiencing, the risk factors for suicide in college students, and what sort of protective actions are taken on campuses across the nation. The method of gathering information in this research appeared to be by survey, many of the statistics given were percentages of responses to questions. Results of this study showed that only 11% of students experiencing suicidal thoughts sought help from their campus resources for mental health. Studies also showed that rather than seeking help

In others, it makes almost no difference at all. So if the return on investment is not all that it adds up to be why is it that we are pressuring our kids to go to these schools. And as result of this pressure, many young adults believe the only way out is suicide. Nationally, the suicide rate among 15- to 24-year-olds has increased modestly but steadily since 2007: from 9.6 deaths per 100,000 to 11.1, in 2013 (the latest year available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). But a survey of college counseling centers has found that more than half their clients have severe psychological problems, an increase of 13 percent in just two years. Anxiety and depression, in that order, are now the most common mental health diagnoses among college students, according to the Center for Collegiate Mental Health at Penn State. This shows that not only are high school student are facing this stigma, but college students are facing the backlash of it. Now that they are in college, they start to compare themselves to other students are start to realize that they are not a successful as they thought they were.William Alexander, director of Penn’s counseling and psychological services, has watched a shift in how some young adults cope with challenges. “A small setback used to mean disappointment, or having that feeling of needing to try harder next time,” he said. Now? “For some

Often more extreme social and academic pressures, can increase anxiety and depression in students (Potter et al., 2004). And so some universities have support groups formed on campuses to help students. But the question is, “Do the students patronize them?” Emory University (2015) suggests that there are specific risk factors for university students in association with suicide, including academic pressures, use of drugs and alcohol, decreased social

College is universally known to be some of the best years of a young adult's life, however for some it is the worst. Students fresh out of high school have many opportunities in college for independence, knowledge, traveling, forming new relationships, and a multitude of fun exciting adventures, so why would any of these young adults feel suicidal? The newfound personal responsibility accompanied by hard classes and social pressure that comes with college can be taxing on a college students mental health, and sadly most colleges and universities are ill equipped in helping students who are faced with these challenges. Recent years have shown an increase in dropout rates for colleges, and on a darker note, suicide attempts. An alarming number

Anxiety and Depression disorders are two of the most common mental disorders in the United States (Falsafi, 2016). It appears that the two disorders are widespread amongst college students and most cannot manage the high demands and stress (Falsafi, 2016). Therefore, they feel more prone to depression and anxiety (Falsafi, 2016). According to the authors Miller & Chung, mental health amongst college students in the United States is a growing public health concern and educators are concerned about the low academic performance of college students and how it influences their mental health (Miller, & Chung, 2009). Research indicates that university students suffer with low grades and poor academic performances, while trying to manage depression and anxiety (Falsafi, 2016). With the consistence of higher drop out rates, it is imperative that colleges and universities create programs that assist students with managing their depression and anxiety to help them through their education.

   Today a college education can overload students with too many stressful situations. Not only does Stress overload today's college students, but it is also the leading cause of personality disorders. In her essay, Cathy Bell explains that major depressive disorder strikes 5-12% of men and 10-20% of women; half of these people will have more than one occurrence and 15% of them will commit suicide ("Depression for the young"). For instance, many depressives are first recognized and treated during their years in college. For a large amount of people, depression exposes itself because of traumatizing experiences, such as leaving home and/or academic stress. For other students alcohol and drugs become a

Depression and anxiety among college students is something that experts have focused on for the past twenty years. The information they have been gathering ranges from the different stressors of college life to the effects of one's culture on how they deal with depression or anxiety symptoms. They have identified a few core characteristics of depression and thoughts of suicide. These are both serious concepts in which people need to seek help for. It is important for students to reach out to friends, family, or professionals to support them during this time. Many campuses offer counseling centers which are seeing many more people over the past few years.

Another obstacle that threatens success is health and emotional issues present prior to attending school. Fogg (2009) reveals that graduate school has a reputation for triggering and amplifying depression and mental illness, especially in those already afflicted by mental health issues. Depression may prevent the individual from fully engaging in discussions, completing assignments or even reaching one’s full potential. Strategies to overcome these obstacles include complying with prescribed mental health medications, seeking support from the university’s free resource center, and focusing on self-care activities.

Although mental health has become a big issue across the U.S., it is especially becoming a problem in college. Suicide has become the “normal,” even though it’s unheard of primarily because of the stigma. Don’t believe me? Are you willing to tell me that stress is normal and to have thoughts of taking your own life while trying to juggle the responsibilities of being an adult is normal? Before you jump to any conclusions, let's take a look at my argument. Mental health has a negative effect on college students.

Campus mental health statistics paint an alarming picture of the incidence of suicide rates on college campuses and by some measures they are getting worse. Almost one in three students have admitted to considering suicide. Mental health needs on campus are real and serious, they are also growing, which is

According to one study, since the 1950s, the suicide rate among young adults have tripled. Specifically, on college campuses, more than 1000 suicides per year. This makes suicide the third leading cause of death in college students (Cerel, 46). Some research suggests that college students stand at more risk for suicide ideation than their same age peers that does not attend college (Hirsch, 393). Studies that were performed at Oxford and Cambridge showed that the elevated rise of student suicide was due to the academic pressure. Later studies also questioned whether schools simply attract students who experience mental illness, such as depression, eating disorders, and personality problems, that could contribute to the rising rates of student suicide. Although colleges and universities provide mental health services for students, these services largely focus on external stressors and lack diverse services, therefore the treatment remains inefficient.