Out-Of-State Hypothesis

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.

Who participated in the study? 113 students from a large Southwestern university were recruited to participate in this study through email or announcements. Participants came from a diverse ethnic and academic background, with a number of them qualifying for mental disorders outside of pathological academic worry.

Because of the stress of moving, children with access to mental health care are more likely to use it: “A review of medical records for all children in the U.S. military medical system showed that children who experienced a geographic move in 2008 were significantly more likely to have a mental health visit in 2009.” (Bond). This quote emphasizes the correlation of moving and mental health visits which suggests a relationship between moving and mental health problems in children. Not all children have access to mental health providers, however, and instead turn to other methods to cope with their emotional stress: “Previous studies have [also] suggested that geographic moves in civilian families are linked with emotional and behavioral problems, an increased likelihood of dropping out of school, increased drug use, and suicide attempts” (Bond). This quote states that geographical moves affect children negatively which leads them to become mentally ill.

As a person who has an experience of mental suffering during the first year of college, I found the psychological problems that many college students undergo as the most interesting subject to compare the articles from the popular press and peer-reviewed journals. The Newsweek’s article “After Virginia Tech.” (2007) written by Daniel McGinn discusses the Virginia Tech tragedy and how colleges are attending to the mental health issues of students. On the other hand, the peer-reviewed article “Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Applied to College Students: A Randomized Clinical Trial” (Pistorello, Fruzzetti, Maclane, Gallop, & Iverson, 2012) from Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology analyzes the effect of a cognitive behavioral treatment

In a study done about the effects of boarding schools, it was found that at the end of the first year of boarding school, the boarders experienced a lower state of well-being. The students were not accustomed to the higher demands of the schooling, high levels of control exerted over them, and separation from their friends and family. After the second year the boarders were able to adjust and thrive, but after an analyzation of the data, it was found the students that began to develop in the second year were stronger students at baseline. The stronger students had higher scores on standardized tests to begin with. Once they got accustomed to the new form of schooling, it was found these students had more motivation to succeed after they realized what they were capable of in their new environment. On the contrary, the weaker students lost confidence because of the inability for them to do as well. This, in turn, prevented them from adapting to their environment. While in this study the strong students were able to thrive, the pressure and difficulty of the education at these institutions cause some students to develop depression and an involvement with alcohol and drugs. “Behind the ivy walls of the cloistered elite there is at times sadness, despair, even tragedy. There are more than a few prep school students who lead lives of quiet

Depression, anxiety, and suicide are relatively common phenomena among college students (Klerman & Weissman, 1989; Twenge et al., 2010).

Many college students picked the school based on how far away it is from home. And within the first year of college the student becomes homesick and wants to move back home for certain reasons. In this research paper, I will talk about how some college student’s wellness is different from those who live on campus versus the ones who live off campus for the school. Living on campus gives you a better feel for the campus life and making adult decisions by yourself and not having to worry about your parents. Also, your health can be difficult with living on campus because you’re not able to go see your regular doctor if you are sick. The difference with living off campus is you are staying at home with your parents and they do not have the chance to gain the campus life experience. Many college student’s maturity level grows because they are gaining their own responsibilities and no having to deal with what their parents want for them. Living off campus reduces the chance of the students gaining the college life experience and gaining responsibilities for themselves. That is why students will have a better college experience if they live on campus all four years of their college life. “…Living on-campus are at entrance more disposed to engage in various educational, social and cultural experiences of college” (Pascarella 247).

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.

Relate to Audience: A lot of college students suffers from depression daily. The stress from being in an unfamiliar environment, working and going to school at the same time can be a very heavy load to deal with. On

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

(2005)Journal of Mental Health, 5(2), 30-39) In the article, it said that support was found for the first hypothesis. The second and third hypothesis did not have enough evidence to support these as true. As the experiment concluded it suggested that in order to help us, college students in improving our lives and how we can feel satisfied with them that, interventions should be given to help us decrease stress or give students tips on increasing coping skills or mechanisms to help many of the stressors a college student or just anyone in general have (Lishman, J. (2005)Journal of Mental Health, 5(2),

"College Mental Health Fact Sheet: Depression." Healthy Minds. Healthy Lives. American Psychiatric Association. 2 Apr. 2008 .

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

According to Naoise (January 2015), people who choose to live away from home decided to stay near at campus or in college residences. Somehow to be stressful but very exciting and the ambience can be satisfying. Stressful includes being strange of the environment, living with new people, and feeling alone or sad about living away from home. It was also showed that individual find it hard to study because of the things around them.