Mental Health Crisis in Universities: Depression & Anxiety on the Rise - Essay Sample

Introduction

Mental health needs among university students have become a significant focus in the country. While other mental ailments remain flat, that is, with no significant issues being caused by them, Depression and anxiety remain the most widespread problems in high institutions cross wide. Depression is described as one being restless. It is characterized by one having doom feelings, being nervous, having lots of worries, much trembling, and sweating, and also having limited focusing at something.

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On the other hand, Depression is described as a doom feeling, having sadness, and having no interest in something. It can persist for weeks, at least two. These disorders have afflicted students at alarming rates: hence top, reasons for students seeking counseling (Fruhauf, 2016). Mental disorders mostly begin during early adulthood or adolescence; the transition from first grade to second grade in university is always due to emotional stability and school connectedness, therefore, disrupting the student's ability to learn and retain information (Keeling 2014).

Statistics About Anxiety and Depression in Higher Education

Statistics show that indicate that 75% of students do not receive treatment regarding mental and remain undiagnosed, and 60% of the students drop out due to mental health conditions (Leonard, 2019). Freshman's life has become significant due to secure access to things that were restricted during the past. Even so, 24.5% of some freshmen undergo these mental disorders as they become attached to new challenges and pressures. Pressures can be due to recognizing whether they are undertaking the correct course of study. Challenges can arise as a result of being homesick because, for the first time, they are living on their own and under their schedule. Adapting to new workloads, classroom assignments and being able to live with new roommates can be challenges too. Therefore, in this paper, I try to analyze the issue of anxiety and Depression in higher education institutions, and its influence on mental health among students.

Focus on Thesis Statement

Therefore, in this article, I try to analyze the issue of anxiety and Depression in higher education institutions and their influence on mental health among students.

Search Process

Wilmington University and Widener University databases used to search for scholarly sources and Key Words were Anxiety, Depression, high school to college transition, and First-year to second-year change.

Qualitative Analysis

Qualitative analysis shows that; the more the students engage themselves with other students for leisure activities such as drinking, unprotected sex, and drug abuse may result in suicidal tendencies, anxiety, and Depression (Leonard, 2019).In addition to that, smoking, not exercising, unhealthy eating habits' and not getting enough sleep also correlates with Depression. In college, Depression makes one feel hopeless, and in most cases, he/she is tearful. Consequently, the depressed student feels worthless, and he/she blames him/herself for past mistakes and things that do not concern him. Depression causes one to feel less valued, low self-esteem about personal body issues, struggling to get good grades, and one is not happy with life leading to suicidal thoughts and mental health issues. Depression leads to sleep disturbances and having a waving food appetite. A good percentage of Students undergo Depression after engaging themselves in relationships. Students who mostly likely go to the wellness centers have Depression due to lack of sleep and course work stress (Fruhauf, 2016). Anxiety can persist long after graduation.

In some cases, it is a matter of days. Anxiety leads to negative emotions, such include loss of interest in hobbies and classroom activities. The loss of interest in participating in operations leads to feeling doom and sad in most occasions. As a result, this affects one's studies negatively. There are ways in which these mental health problems can be addressed. I have outlined them below. First, talking helps one relieves stress, besides students who have been reported to go to the gym show less Depression and anxiety. Second, students who take exercises such as having walks and jogging also have less suicidal rates and Depression since exercising helps clear one's mind off.

Trending Issues on Mental Health

Wellness centers program offer intramural sports, sports club, group fitness, and outdoor programmings such as climbing walls and general fitness of cardio and weight training. All activities involved in the wellness resources center included a push of muscles, although most university students prefer weight training (Benson-Tilsen & Cheskis-Gold, 2017). Physical exercise allows the release of endogenous opiates, neurotransmitters' and chemical factors in one's brain. Physical exercise offers self-destruction, improves one self-esteem and self- value and a sense of being fit. Depression can result from a reduced level of serotonin, and physical activity raises the level of neurotransmitters in the brain (Fruhauf, 2016). Physical exercise can improve a student's cognitive functioning. The exercises help improve learning, understanding and even writing capabilities. Outdoors physical activities help improve weariness, self-contentment, and decrease the level of Depression, making the students feel regular and lively again.

Prince analyzes mental trend issues among students. The first review of the historical campus base counseling of students took place after the Second World War. Campus-based advice was significant for the veterans enrolling, and then it became more personalized in the later decades. It was later welcomed to the professional side (Dannnels, 2018). According to Prince (2015), more students had overwhelming anxiety due to the strict standards of counseling. To support his argument on significant trends of mental issues among students, he said it was due to a short supply of staff. Student mental health has become a substantial section on organizational strategies for creating healthier and safer campuses. Universities are addressing the issue by use of a public model that focuses on environmental factors on-campus that influence student's mental health (Rosenberg, 2018). Counseling services have been offered to students when they encounter psychological issues, and students from abroad are trained to expect culture shock and how to develop a treatment plan.

Coclusion

Campus students mostly are affected by people's impressions because they are young, and they need to fit in their new environment. This impact has led to students not wanting to seek campus-based counseling due to the risk of being made fun of and avoiding mockery. Statistics analysis made by (Rudick 2018) indicates that 75% of students do not receive treatment regarding mental issues; as a result, they remain undiagnosed, and 60% of the students drop out due to mental health conditions. Mental health stigmatization affects the student's academic performance, confidence and both social and personal lives (Rudick 2018). Students tend to seek assistance from nurses and medical providers rather than mental health professionals to avoid stigmatization, which is associated with a psychological issue because of their conflicting ideas concerning psychotherapy.

In conclusion, depression and anxiety are the most widespread problems in high institutions cross wide. These disorders have afflicted students at alarming rates: hence top, reasons for students seeking counseling (Rosenberg, 2018). Most universities have combined their student counseling and health services both physically and administratively while others use a simplified method of exchanging records when required but maintain separate private sessions to assure students of their confidentiality in mental health care (Benson-Tilsen & Cheskis-Gold, 2017). Physical activity is a self-care measure, and exercise helps many campus students to fight Depression. Mental health stigmatization health riddance involves the use of counseling services, wellness centers, physical activity, and public awareness measures. The campus should use volunteers and students to offer help to affected students to prevent mental issues. Training peer support groups are of importance and should be conducted under professional guidance.

References

Benson-Tilsen, G., & Cheskis-Gold, R. (2017). Mind and body: wellness centre trends in the US Higher Education. Planning for Higher Education, 45(4), 137-156. https://search.proquest.com/openview/8df47744742174a243b1189caab7e908/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=47536

Fruhauf, A., Niedermeier, M., Elliott, L. R., Ledochowski, L., Marksteiner, J., & Kopp, M. (2016). Acute effects of outdoor physical activity on effect and psychological well-being in depressed patients-A preliminary study. Mental Health and Physical Activity, 10, 4-9. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5517492/

Hutchinson, D. S. (2015). Mental health: Creating and cultivating a campus community that supports mental health. In Wellness Issues for Higher Education (pp. 53-68). Routledge

Leonard, A. (2019). The Relationship between Campus Wellness Centre Usage and Symptoms of Depression in College Freshmen. Retrieved from https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4210&context=etd

Rudick, C. K., & Dannnels, D. P. (2018). Yes, and: continuing the scholarly conversation about mental health stigma in higher education. Communication Education, 67(3), 404-408. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03634523.2018.1467563

Rosenberg, D. (2018, February 9). 1 in 5 college students has anxiety or Depression. Here's why. The Conversation. Retrieved from https://theconversation.com/1-in-5-college-students-have-anxiety-or-depression-heres-why-90440

Prince, J. P. (2015). University student counselling and mental health in the United States: Trends and challenges. Mental Health & Prevention, 3(1-2), 5-10. https://www.academia.edu/25267978/Mental_health_of_Students