Mental Health Disorders in College Students: What do they do to Cope?

College students today are facing drastically increased rates of mental health disorders and suicide attempts.

“More than 80% of college students felt overwhelmed by all they had to do in the past year and 45% have felt things were hopeless.”

Recent years have shown an increase in college students' mental health disorders. Students look for ways to combat this trend in hopes to be more than just a statistic. Several students noted what stresses them out during school and how they deal with this stress to better their mental health.

Several students stated that responsibilities that provide stress include deadlines, family issues, social belonging, and feeling lonely to name a few. “I used to keep a lot of feelings inside. Once the initial awkwardness was released it feel good to talk to people that care about you. We are all dealing with so many different things.” said Junior at University of Wisconsin La Crosse, Ian Ermoian, 21.

Others felt that their mental health had shifted up and down depending on the timing of the seasons. School can increase the number of responsibilities that young adults compared to the Summer when most students go on break.

“I do notice a huge shift in my mental health (during school). Being a student-athlete, I didn’t really get a break while staying at school and continuing the same routine” said Senior at Roosevelt University Nicole Poole, 21.

So how do college students deal with the pressures of the aforementioned topics?

A Senior at Roosevelt University Jarod Galanos, said “I hang out with roommates and go to the gym. Finding ways to keep my mind happy and less overworked keep me pretty upbeat.”

College students utilize an array of activities to take time out of their day to focus on their mental health. What works for one student may not work for another. “I try to make time for things I like to do. Going outside, drawing or painting, doing yoga, hanging out with friends, and not thinking about schoolwork” said Maria Mcgonegle, a graduate student at Truman State University.

College Students today face many obstacles. A few of these obstacles are the Covid pandemic, student loans, pressure to succeed from an ever-growing social media presence, and of course those pesky deadlines. Each student is unique in how they deal with these issues. Some choose to ignore the feelings some choose to practice mindfulness. One thing is for sure. The numbers of mental health crises in college students continue to rise. Students today now look for ways to better their mental health to prevent becoming a stat in these emerging studies.

Sources

Ian Ermoian: Ian1501cen@gmail.com

Nicole Poole: npoole@mail.roosevelt.edu

Jarod Galanos: jgalanos@mail.roosevelt.edu

Maria Mcgonegle: mam8256@truman.edu