Top Mental Health Challenges Facing Students
Introduction
It is without a doubt that college life can be tough considering classwork and personal life. It’s demanding nature can be mentally straining and is for this reason that the current statistics concerning altered the mental health of many college students is very alarming, for example; one in every four students have a diagnosable illness, and surprisingly enough 40% of these do not seek aid. Am going to do my essays focusing on the top mental health challenges including anxiety, suicide, depression, addiction and eating disorders that are facing college students today.
Depression
This is the number one reason many students drop out of school, and if left untreated it can lead to complications or even suicide. There are some symptoms that characterize depression including, but not limited to; the feeling of unhappiness or sadness, indecisiveness, trouble concentrating, loss of energy, sleeplessness, thoughts of death, dying and suicide and slowed thinking. Most of the incoming college freshmen, normally end up feeling inadequate due to the stresses of managing coursework, being away from home and trying to find one’s path. All this coupled with not having the collegiate fun that everyone insisted you would once you stepped into college can lead to depression.
Anxiety
Anxiety becomes a disorder when it starts to interfere with one’s daily life, causing an intense amount of fearful feelings and stress and stopping one’s ability to function. Anxiety disorders include the following but not limited to; Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), Panic Disorder, and Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Some of its symptoms include; headaches, fearfulness, shortness of breath, irregular heartbeat. College students deal with many stressors that that may trigger or worsen the anxiety disorder including exams, and social tensions that come about with trying to blend with other students.
Suicide
This is the act of deliberately taking one’s life. It ranks second in the causes of death among college students. Statistics goes further to show that 10% of college students have thought or even made plans to commit suicide. Also, a report by Emory University shows that there are over 1,000 deaths as a result of suicide on college campuses in the U.S. annually. Some of its warning signs include; extreme emotional and physical pain, avoiding social activities, drop in academic performance, and talk of suicide. The quicker the signs are detected, the better the chance of stopping it.
Eating Disorders
These are extreme behaviors, attitudes and emotions that touch on food and weight issues. Statistics reveals that 25% of college women purge or binge to manage their weight. Common eating disorders include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and being eating disorder. Some of the symptoms include poor or distorted body image, dehydration, irregular heartbeats, fear of eating in public, and excessive exercise. Most college students do not realize they have these problems and when they do they rarely seek professional assistance.
Addiction
This is the dependency and constant abuse of substances such as alcohol and drugs. In the realm of college life engaging in drugs and alcohol and partying have become standard. However, for some students, what commenced as a social tradition ends up becoming a fully-fledged addiction. It is worth mentioning that approximately 80% college students’ drink. Some of the symptoms of addiction include; being anxious, fearful or paranoid for no apparent reason, and a deterioration of physical appearance. Addiction is currently a growing crisis for students today and can be treated effectively with the help of a well-trained healthcare professional.
Category: Health
