College Student Mental Illnesses

The mental stability of college students has dropped to a staggering low, so low that 1 in 4 college students have reported that the have had suicidal thoughts and actions. That's just the amount that have reported that they are feeling suicidal. So many college students struggle with mental illness and receive no help or guidance in curing and dealing with their illnesses.

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.

Imagine living with a mental illness that affects your everyday life but has no physical aspects to it. Waging a war within your own head and not being able to control your own thoughts or feelings. Millions of adolescence throughout the United States are currently sick, living with a mental illness with no idea how to treat it, or even the idea they are sick. Mental Health services on campus may be the answer to treating the diseases many children are suffering from.

People with serious mental health illnesses were considered to be the vulnerable and at risk for having positive outcomes through transitions from secondary education to higher education and adulthood (Haber, Karbur, Deschenes & Clark, 2013). Mental illness was noted to be the cause of more disabilities than any other disability category in the United States (Odds and Ends, 2010).

Mental health is a serious topic that is often not taken seriously. Due to my own struggles with depression, I have experienced the impact mental illness can have on a student’s life. Mental illness can make everyday life feel unbearable and can have just as serious of an effect on a person as a physical illness. The causes of increasing mental health problems in college students are numerous, and it will take work from both students and universities to overcome this problem, but change is necessary for the health of U.S. college students.

One thing we discussed in class that I found interesting was disorders. I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression and I found it fascinating to learn more about my disorders. When learning about these disorders I couldn’t help but think that most students start to feel anxious or depressed in college due to being overwhelmed by school and/or work. In an article by Joel Brown entitled “The Most Common Mental Health Diagnosis in College Students,(2016)” he discusses how anxiety is most common in students.

Frequently, mental illness affects many areas of a sufferer’s life including academic performance. Mark Weist et al. explain that it is important for schools to recognize when students are suffering emotionally because of the impediment mental illness can have on education (par. 16). Mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression can have an especially negative impact on academic performance as the disorders can lead to students isolating themselves and a decrease in overall mental functioning.

For thirteen years, assuming students enter the school system during kindergarten, students are conditioned to adhere to certain rituals and practices to prepare them for a future in college and career. Students are required to spend roughly nine months in classrooms, seven hours a day, exercising their minds and filling their brains with a new supply of information. Additionally, countless hours of standardized testing are spent analyzing students’ ability to retain and apply their knowledge. According to school systems, by the time a student leaves high school he or she should be adequately prepared to face the next stage in his or her life.

College represents a form of higher learning. For many, it is also a time for personal growth as we transition into adulthood. This in itself is a stressful situation as one must make drastic adjustments to a new role, environment, and demands. Stress is a major contributor to the development of mental and emotional issues (Rodgers, L., Tennison, L. 2009). Research has been done to determine the impact of depression and anxiety on university students. It has been

Let me start out with the understanding that I know you are extremely busy and this juncture of the semester. However, there are two items that are of importance, the first is registration for next semester and the other is working next semester.

Thesis: Mental Illness in colleges needs to be addressed because of the rise in college students being diagnosed in mental health problems.

Stress is a real issue among college students, as college life has many causes that evoke stress. Each person responds to stressful situations in a different way: one can get motivated, and another can just panic and procrastinate. However, there are certain stressors that tend to have negative effects on all students, such as romantic relationships, finance problems, deadlines, new levels of independence, social obligations and so on. The list of stressors is infinite. As well as there are many effects of stress. Melissa Cohen, a licensed clinical social worker and certified coach

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.

Students’ state of mental and emotional health will contribute to the way that stress manifests and presents itself, once he or she enters college. “The emerging categories related to sleep and health problems could be a manifestation of a general increasing level of stress and psychopathology” (Murphy and Archer 26). There are a great number of studies, both past and on going, of stress and college students which have mainly focused on academics, personal relationships, finance and family status. A more in depth look has revealed that students with emotional disorders or those of poor health are even more ill equipped to

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.