The On-Going Battle Against Mental Health Issues
College is difficult, and if you experience mental health issues it can feel like a never-ending war. It’s easy to get trapped in your own head. I won’t deny that it can be easier to ignore the problems than to deal with them. Sometimes you may not even have the time or energy to address the issues.
This article marks the first entry in the series. In the future, I hope to talk about the varying aspects of depression and anxiety in college aged students, coping mechanisms, and the experiences students have personally gone through.
First, I’d like to show you a video. It’s a nice animation that goes over some of the facts I talk about later on.
10 Facts About Depression And Anxiety In College Students
1.
Almost ⅓ of college students in the year 2017 reported feeling depression so extreme that they had trouble functioning
2.
In the Fall 2018 National College Health Assessment by the American College Health Association, about 63% of college students in the US felt overwhelming anxiety during 2018.
3.
The Mayo Clinic Health System reports that about 44% of college students experienced symptoms of depression and anxiety in the year 2021.
4.
Before the pandemic in 2020, more than one-third of college students in America were diagnosed with mental health issues. The most common diagnoses were anxiety and depression. These diagnoses increase every year.
5.
According to an online survey by Active Minds in the middle of 2020, about 90% of college students in America reported that COVID-19 has negatively impacted their mental health. 20% of those students reported that their mental health has significantly worsened.
6.
John Elfein, a health researcher at Statistita, found that in 2020 to 2021 about 41% of college students in the US reported symptoms of depression. 22% of those students said they experienced severe depression, while 19% said they experienced moderate depression.
7.
The Suicide Prevention Resource Center reports that mental health issues can affect a student’s energy level, academic performance, optimism and concentration. They also report that depression can be linked to dropping out of school.
8.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that one in four people from ages 18-24 have seriously contemplated suicide in the year 2020.
9.
A national survey by the Association for University and College Counseling Center found that in the year 2018, 66% of college students felt counseling improved their academic performance.
10.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) reported that 64% of young adults dropped out of college due to mental illness.
Pexels, Ocean Sea Waves Dawn Dusk Seascape Sun Sunrise. 2016. Pixabay, https://pixabay.com/photos/ocean-sea-waves-dawn-dusk-1867285/
Do Things Get Better?
The truth is, I don’t know. I can’t promise you whether or not life will be better in the future. I’m not the most optimistic person. Everyone has always told me to remain positive and that things won’t stay like this forever. In reality though, they have no idea. No one does.
The most that we can do is survive to see the next day, so I hope you keep on fighting.
Cera Lawrence
Student Writer - Spring 2022
