Introduction
Psychological and cognitive health-related concerns have been a worry for a considerable time, but corresponding healthcare institutions and administrations have shown little attention and involvement. To reach high rates of mental health, jurisdictions have taken insufficient steps to guarantee that individuals’ mental difficulties are adequately addressed. The current state of instructional centers is worthy of skepticism, and as such, it merits critical consideration. Most undergraduates and college students who have yet to graduate exhibit significant rates of mental illness, illustrating the distress of the learners and the degree of disregard the healthcare system faces. Although many institutions provide on-campus programs, many students who could gain from cognitive well-being solutions are not provided with transportation. This paper is aimed at college students, parents of college students, and university administrators. The purpose of this essay is to critically examine the research on the frequency, risk factors, and workable alternatives to the psychological wellness problems that plague college students. In addition, the report evaluates the existing state of mental health services and resources on college campuses by identifying gaps, strengths, and potential roadblocks.
Literature Review
The problem of mental health in the educational arena has become frequent in the school community. This attention expands to educational, wellness, and psychotherapy experts. A report by Oswalt et al. found that the number of college students with severe psychological problems has been increasing over the past decade (45). In addition, the report found that depression and anxiety are the most common mental health issues among college students. The authors enumerated that depression was characterized by poor mood, fatigue, melancholy, restlessness, and incapacity to enjoy life. Variable episodes of discomfort and unhappiness that impede the everyday activities of the affected individuals are characteristic of the disorder (Oswalt et al. 45). Therefore, students may have poor academic performance and incapacity to participate in co-curricular and learning experiences with their peers.
Consequently, other studies by different authors have tried to demonstrate a relationship between college transition and mental illness among undergraduates. One contributing factor to college students’ high rates of psychological wellness issues is the movement to the college itself. Transitioning to college often involves leaving home, making new friends, and managing newfound independence, which can be stressful for many students (Duffy et al. 886). In addition, college students are often expected to perform well academically, which can add to their stress levels.
Prevalence
Students experience a higher frequency of mental health issues than the overall population. Statistically, more than 50% of learners at public institutions in the United States struggle with anxiety and depression. An estimated 11.9% of university students experience an anxiety disorder, making anxiety problems the most widespread psychiatric condition among college learners (Duffy et al. 592). Depression is another prevalent mental health issue among undergraduates, with incidence rates ranging from 7 to 9% (Duffy et al. 592). Therefore, much consideration should be given to these conditions for better cognitive well-being of college students.
Similarly, a survey of first-year students at Coventry University in the UK revealed that many participants had experienced psychological health conditions such as anxiety and depression. Maser et al. demonstrated that the frequency of cognitive health ailments, such as anxiety and depression, is slightly greater in medical school than in the general non-student population of the same age, supporting these observations (1783). Maser et al. showed that the prevalence of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) among learners has stayed higher than that of the broader population over the past 20 years (1783). In addition to being widespread, SAD is also recurrent among students. Using a 2-year follow-up survey and study of students, Maser et al. discovered that more than half of students exhibit elevated levels of anxiety and depression over time (1784). This phenomenon may be attributable to the absence of SAD treatment or the continuation of underlying risk factors.
Risk Factors
Multiple risk components are associated with the development of mental disorders in college students. Firstly, students with social constraints, such as substandard housing and deprivation, are more susceptible to mental problems (Ramón-Arbués et al. 10). Poverty is correlated with low academic achievement among students due to concerns with conduct, cognition, and focus. Therefore, it is linked to anxiety, schizophrenia, melancholy, disobedience, and other problems of mental health that are consistent in teenagers. Poverty raises the chance of trauma and abuse, particularly during infancy, and the loss of important family members (Ramón-Arbués et al. 10). Domestic violence is less likely and dangerous when a household has a high income. It is consequently self-evident that if the prerequisites are not met, students are likely to be subjected to intolerable circumstances at home, which can result in mental disorders.
Secondly, students in universities and colleges are also confronted with various psychological stressors and annoyances that negatively impact their mental state and effectiveness. Long-term and acute distress is interchangeably connected with the development of mental disorders among college learners. It increases the likelihood of psychological health issues such as anxiety and melancholy, substance abuse, sleep disturbances, pain, and physical symptoms such as muscle strain (Burwell 150). Similarly, academically stressed students are prone to underperform in the classroom. As many individuals are conditioned to dread underachievement and poor performance, disappointing results perpetuate long-term stress.
Potential Solutions
As illustrated within the essay, many college students experience mental health illnesses. Therefore, as explained herein, the following are some suggestions that may be utilized to reduce the prevalence of psychological wellness conditions among college learners. Firstly, many college students who visit health facilities have mental health issues. Therefore, a partnership approach between university healthcare centers and therapeutic services may boost the detection and referral of students with cognitive health issues for behavioral health therapies. There are multiple ways to classify the joint connection between college medical clinics and behavioral wellness offerings. The integrative approach provides medical and behavioral health services as a team-based program. In this concept, teammates have a management strategy incorporating medical and behavioral components.
Alternately, medical and mental health treatments can be co-located, and services are managed as a result of pooling resources and being in the same environment. In the last paradigm, coordination is possible when medical and behavioral health solutions are provided separately. In this arrangement, health centers and mental health centers share information in a formal and defined manner. In the last two models, the professionals providing medical treatment and those providing mental health services do not work together. The utilization of electronic medical records is an essential component of service management. In particular, implementing EMRs may be related to improved treatment for college students, as their use may improve communication between clinicians, synchronization, assessment, and decision support.
Secondly, college leadership can remove barriers to accessing counseling facilities and reduce the stigma associated with seeking mental health assistance. Integrated peer-to-peer and student-led outreach initiatives can facilitate discussions to comprehend better and meet learners’ needs. These can also help children develop empathy for one another, recognize the significance of sharing comparable experiences, and increase awareness of accessible mental health resources.
Malmon argues, âAdding that many times, peer-to-peer programs like Active Minds can help provide support, as well as encourage students to be more actively engaged in the campus community or student groups. And that sense of belonging can go a long way toward helping sustain studentsâ mental healthâ (Fortune.comâ).
Current State of Mental Health Services and Supports on College Campuses
On the surface, most schools of higher education have little motivation to provide extensive mental health facilities. Students facing mental health issues are more inclined to drop out and move schools. According to the most recent data from Sallie Mae, 14% of learners cite psychological state as the key reason why they did not graduate. Often, it is an issue of insufficient resources (âFortune.comâ). According to the 2021 annual report from the Center for Collegiate Mental Health (CCMH), over 35% of universities limit individual consultations (âFortune.comâ). Over half of college guidance facilities adopt a variant of the “structured care” approach, which gives individuals with the least resource-intensive management initially and only increases the degree of care when necessary. Consequently, students must sometimes try out self-guided remedies, conferences, and peer assistance groups before receiving individual treatment sessions.
What is lacking in most colleges to deal with the rising mental health illnesses among students is that campus mental health clinics also face a nationwide shortage of trained medical practitioners. âWe need more and more clinicians than we ever needed before. And we need to start getting people excited about entering a career in mental health when they’re young,â says Brett Donnelly (âFortune.comâ). One barrier that makes it difficult for college campuses to adequately and efficiently offer psychological services for their students is inadequate finances to fund such programs. Moreover, most learners prefer individualized care to peer-to-peer approaches that most instructional centers offer. Finally, due to the enormous number of college students, a substantial counselor-student ratio exists to effectively manage mental health illness issues.
Conclusion
In conclusion, mental health issues are prevalent among college students. Multiple risk factors contribute to the development of mental disorders among college students. Firstly, pupils with socioeconomic restrictions, such as inadequate housing and poverty, are more prone to mental health issues. In addition, university and college students face several psychological stressors and irritations that harm their mental health and productivity. College students’ mental disease development is linked to chronic and acute distress. Most colleges and universities lack the motivation to provide adequate mental health services. The administration of a college can eliminate barriers to accessing counseling services and minimize the stigma linked to seeking mental health help. Integrated peer-to-peer activities and student-led outreach projects can promote discussions to improve learners’ understanding and suit their needs.
Self-Evaluation
What I envy most about this paper is that it provides a clear insight into how mental health illnesses affect students and some of the programs colleges may implement to help reduce the prevalence of psychological conditions among learners. On the other hand, this essay is restricted to offering limited knowledge of some ideas about mental health conditions, making it the least aspect I like about the paper. In writing the paper, I did not seek assistance from anyone. The justification for the above choice was that I felt the online resources, the institutionâs library, and other search engines like Google Scholar provided enough resources to complete the essay. I would grade myself an A, for I handled wholly the aspects required of the research.
Works Cited
Burwell, Sylvia Mathews. “Generation Stress: The Mental Health Crisis on Campus” Foreign Affairs, vol. 97, no. 6, 2018, pp 150-157. Web.
Duffy, Anne, et al. “Mental Health Care for University Students: A Way Forward?” The Lancet Psychiatry, vol. 6, no. 11, 2019, pp. 885-887. Web.
Duffy, Mary E., Jean M. Twenge, and Thomas E. Joiner. “Trends in Mood and Anxiety Symptoms and Suicide-Related Outcomes among US Undergraduates, 2007â2018: Evidence from Two National Surveys.” Journal of Adolescent Health, vol. 65, no. 5, 2019, pp. 590-598. Web.
âFortune.comâ, 2022, Web.
Maser, Brandon, et al. “Medical Student Psychological Distress and Mental Illness Relative to the General Population: A Canadian Cross-Sectional Survey.” Academic Medicine, vol. 94, no. 11, 2019, pp. 1781-1791. Web.
Oswalt, Sara B., et al. “Trends in College Studentsâ Mental Health Diagnoses and Utilization of Services, 2009â2015.” Journal of American College Health, vol. 68, no. 1, 2020, pp. 41-51. Web.
RamĂłn-ArbuĂ©s, Enrique, et al. “The Prevalence of Depression, Anxiety and Stress and their Associated Factors in College Students.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, vol. 17, no. 19, 2020, pp. 1-15. Web.