In the book Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on college campuses, authors Arum and Roska (2011) discuss how college is “academically adrift,” denoting how minor academic learning is in comparison to other facets and how academia is failing its students (p. 30). One point the authors emphasize is that it is academic learning is more crucial for students to show the value in their collegiate experience (p. 30). This is in contrast with how universities focus on utilizing student engagement for retention purposes, which the authors believe is not as pivotal (p. 31). This means that to measure the success of college, we should not mention retention but what students learn. While the authors make an interesting case, this view does not focus on students holistically. Indeed, students go to college to learn, but students are more than their academics. When students are seen as only learners and measured by that, I believe this affects their mental health negatively. It causes them to only focus on their academic achievements and how much they learned, instead of focusing on themselves and their sanity. When a student’s mental health is not at his or her best, they cannot properly learn. For this reason, my paper will focus on students advocating for their mental health as an important skill a college graduate should have, with the main basis coming from my own personal experience. Additionally, this paper will discuss how changing certain policies and practice areas can help
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.
According to Merriam-Webster, mental health illness is described as a broad range of medical conditions (such as major depression, schizophrenia, obsessive compulsive disorder, or panic disorder) that are marked primarily by sufficient disorganization of personality, mind, or emotions to impair normal psychological functioning and cause noticeable grief or disability and that are usually related with a disruption in standard judgement, feeling, mood, behavior, interpersonal interactions, or daily functioning. Mental health is described as a level of psychological comfort, or the absence of a mental illness. It is the "psychological state of someone who is functioning at a satisfactory level of emotional and behavioral adjustment from the perspective of positive psychology or holism, mental health may include an person 's capability to enjoy life, and produce stability connecting life activities and efforts to achieve psychological resilience. The World Health Organization, suggests mental health illness includes "subjective well-being, perceived self-efficacy, autonomy, competence, inter-generational dependence, and self-actualization of one 's intellectual and emotional potential, among others. The WHO further states that the well-being of an individual is encompassed in the recognition of their capabilities, managing with normal stresses of life, constructive work and involvement to their community. Ethnic differences, prejudiced evaluations, and competing professional
Many people surrounding the concept of college and collegiate students are recognizing what many surveys are proving. The reason people are starting to notice is because recent studies and surveys are presenting that there is evidence of a rise in mental problems. To name a couple of them, depression, suicide and even eating disorders among the collegiate students. The reason this issue has evolved into a controversy is because not only are these survey showing that the umber of students developing mental health issues is increasing but the people being affected by this issue is growing. Some stakeholders have a bad and some have good viewpoint on this issue. The stakeholders fighting and voicing their viewpoint in this controversy vary from
A mental disorder is a disease that can cause mild to severe disturbances or impairments in behavior or mental wellbeing. These effects may result in the inability of the individual to effectively cope with the demands and pressures of everyday life. There are more than 200 types of different mental illnesses, such as bipolar disorder, dementia, and schizophrenia, among many others. However, in this paper the main focus will be placed on depression and anxiety.
Who says you cannot bring the light to mental illness through comedy? So many of us think joking about mental illness can be demeaning to those who suffer from them. Although there are ways, you can help a person get through their struggles with the mental health issues they face, but do we ever ask ourselves the questions we necessarily need to know when it comes to helping someone with a mental illness. Is sarcasm, bad? Is it meant to demean others? Sarcasm can present itself as hostility and insecurity which becomes disguised as humor. When someone is seemingly receiving sarcastic comments or phrases, they feel to be put down and feels as if the person stating these remarks is a jerk. When saying a sarcastic joke has at someone who
As the research suggests, there are an obvious number of students on college campuses that are exhibiting the detrimental behavioral, social, and academic effects of mental health issues. I wanted to observe whether the number of suffering college students is increasing or not to identify the severity of the problem on college campuses and determine the best approach to deal with these numbers. In a 2012 study directed by Mark Salzer, he states that college students suffering from mental health are “enrolling at increasing rates” also making note of the fact that “Eighty-six percent of students with mental illness withdraw from college prior to completing their degree” (1). This discovery further shows that mental illness is affecting more
In “A business case or increasing college mental health services” it is made clear to the reader that having a larger staff will eventually pay itself off, but that funding to begin with is what many schools lack to take that chance. One counseling session could make a difference in the student and their future. In Osbergs research, he notes that many the students lead into depression because of grade difficulties, loneliness, money issues, and relationship problems (page 1); most of these symptoms can be avoided by having someone to talk to- a health center available for appointments. College students are constantly changing their minds; it is said that the average students will change their major five times throughout the four years in college, students simply need redirection when they get lost. Singal says that most worriers agree that kids these days are different, different in the sense that we may need more attention and care but only for the better. For redirection when we become misguided by the wrong influencers. College has given students freedom, but many do not know how to use this freedom correctly, and are still in the process of learning. Many cannot handle this freedom and pressure together, causing them to go into depression of the overwhelming sensations. I agree that it is morally correct for Universities to offer help, but the more
In a study that measured how much knowledge college students possessed when it came to their campus mental health resources 37 percent of responders said they did not have enough information about their campus’s mental health resources to contact them. 30 percent of responders said they had never heard of the services available at their campus. 38 percent said they had heard about the services but knew nothing about them (Yorgason et al.). Awareness of campus resources is low, partly because of stigma, but also, perhaps, because colleges are not raising enough awareness. A simple flyer advertising mental health resources available on campus could save a life. The link to the counseling center being present on the university’s homepage, rather than being buried beneath information about summer classes and tips for graduate papers, could stop one student from dropping out. A simple mention of the counseling center at freshman orientation could motivate a student to seek out the help that they deserve. Colleges and universities have the obligation to maintain their image, but they also have an obligation to their students to make them aware of the resources they can make use of. Many colleges and universities now offer an Active Minds group. Active Minds is a
Hundreds of thousands of people die due to suicide every year. This number is estimated to double by 2020 should the current trend continue. The primary cause of these suicides is mental disorders and harmful use of alcohol - which in itself is a result of mental health related conditions. The World Health Organization reports indicate that 20% of the world 's children and adolescents suffer from one or more mental disorders and according to the Kim foundation, 57.7 million people in the US suffer from a mental health disorder.
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.
If you ask any current college student how their experience at school is going, you are likely to hear about the struggles they face with heavy course materials, difficult exams, and other criticisms about being a student. With that, college students are put under so much pressure that some may not be able to mentally stay on their game and may develop depression and anxiety as a cause of this crazy lifestyle. “Researchers have reported that almost half of college-aged individuals may experience mental health problems” (Jennings). When it comes to receiving help for these developing mental illnesses most universities offer a variety of resources to help students better themselves. These medical resources
Mental health is an issue which many individuals quietly struggle with in their daily lives. Psychological disorders, although extremely common, are often misunderstood by those who are not educated on the subject, even those who may be suffering from a mental disorder themselves. According to the 13th edition of the textbook Abnormal Psychology (Kring et al., 2015), a psychological disorder is defined as a clinically significant behavioral or psychological syndrome or pattern that impact a person 's life. This definition is not very specific, however, since every behavioral or psychological pattern is not a psychological disorder. Defining what constitutes a psychological disorder can be tricky, however there are several characteristics that qualify a condition as a psychological disorder. Although the symptoms and causes for each psychological disorder are different, the common characteristics that make them difficult to live with can be used to diagnose and define them as a disorder.
College can often mean interacting with a new environment, new people, new fears, challenges, and opportunities without the comfort of home or a steady support network. For many students, this transition into an entirely new stage of life can often incite general reactions to stress, anxiety, feelings of depression, and other various forms of mental illness. Many young students, aged 18-24, are negatively impacted by mental health issues, affecting their concentration, satisfaction, and emotional security as a result (Mahmoud et al. 149). This paper aims to research the potential negative implications, behaviors, and interactions of mental illness among college students, considering the strength of on-campus mental health support services as
Sensitive questions are a broad category that encompasses issues that trigger social desirability concerns and those viewed as intrusive by the respondents or those that raise concerns about possible repercussions of disclosing information. Some of the sensitive topics that can be used here include alcohol consumption, drug use, sexual activities, plans, and concerns. Other may include sexual abuse history and other mental health illness. When talking to such a person, who could be possibly mentally ill, one should pay attention to speech, emotions, thinking and perception and their insights if they have self-harmed.
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.