Mental illness on campus is a serious problem.
- Mental issues, such as anxiety and depression, are more common among college-age students than any other age group
- One in every five students in college will experience a mental illness
- 45 percent of college students felt things were hopeless
- 50 percent of college students felt overwhelming anxiety
- 44 percent of college students in America felt symptoms of depression
- In the United States, suicide is the second most common cause of death among college students, while only the eighth among the general population
- The American College Health Association reported that 30 percent of college students felt “so depressed that it was difficult to function”.
- The median grade point average of a student who suffers from depression is 13 percent lower than the median grade point average of the overall student body.
- A college student who is depressed is twice as likely to drop out of college as a student who is not depressed.
- The average age for an eating disorder to develop is between 18 and 20.
- 25 percent of college students suffer from eating disorders.
- The mortality rate related to anorexia nervosa is “12 times higher than the death rate associated with all causes of death for females 15-24 years old”.
- College stress, along with the availability of late-night study food and unhealthy food options, may lead to the development a binge-eating disorder or bulimia.
- 22.9 percent of college students fit the medical definition for drug abuse or dependence, which is a higher rate than the general public.
- Between 1993 and 2005, college students’ use of opioids grew 343 percent, use of tranquilizers grew 450 percent, use of stimulants grew 93 percent, use of marijuana grew 200 percent, and use of hard drugs grew 50%.
- The Royal College of Psychiatrists in the United Kingdom found evidence that the current generation of college students are more prone to anxiety and depression than older generations.
- Of young people who struggle with substance abuse issues, over two-thirds also suffer from some diagnosable form of depression
- Some may not get along well with their roommates, or may miss their parents, friends, and the comforts of home.
- Students are forced to make lifestyle decisions to a greater extent than they had to previously at home, such as what to eat, how to manage time, what classes to take, or whether or not to engage in sexual behavior, drinking, or drugs.
- College also confronts students with many very important and stressful life decisions regarding relationships, major selection, and career choices.
- Student loans average to $26,600 per borrower in debt.
- The unemployment rate for 20 to 29 year olds with bachelor’s degrees rose around five percent from 2007 to 2011, and from 2000 to 2010, the college enrollment rate rose 37 percent. As a result, the competition to earn a higher grade point average is more fierce because there is great pressure to find a well-paying career after college.
The best way for a student to improve his or her condition is to seek counseling to help cope with such problems. Counselors can give individual attention to students, provide advice about healthy living habits, and refer students to receive proper treatment. Colleges in the Ithaca area of New York have begun to see lower dropout rates which they partly contribute to the development of mental health services for students.
In order to promote the mental health services and supports which are available to students, it is important to eliminate stigma about mental illnesses.
In order to promote the mental health services and supports which are available to students, it is important to eliminate stigma about mental illnesses.
- Over 45 percent of college students who dropped out of school due to reasons related to mental health did not seek any accommodations from their school while 62 percent of these students knew how to.
- 57 percent of college students with diagnosable mental health illnesses did not take advantage of any school accommodations and 40 percent did not seek any mental health services at all.
- Stigma about mental illness is the primary reason why troubled college students do not seek help
- incorporating mental health topics into freshman orientation
- organizing mental health awareness events
- adding signage regarding mental health issues across campus
- make a presentation to their psychology class
- write a letter to the school newspaper about mentioning the mental health services provided at the school
- join a mental health awareness group such as Active Minds. Student Lexy Davis began an Active Minds chapter at Syracuse University, and within five years, Syracuse saw a significant decline in stigma, as 47% more students were willing to take advantage of their school’s mental health accommodations.