Mental health awareness is a subject of which has garnered a lot of attention in recent times. This has also become a more welcoming area of conversation among young people, especially during the pandemic.
College as a whole can very well be a synonym for enormous amounts of stress. For freshmen like myself, it is likely their first time being off on their own and no longer able to depend on family or other resources from home. This experience can add a large amount of stress and anxiety. Combined with intense course loads and rigorous schedules, it can create a very harsh environment.
Statistics have also supported this. According to InnovatedEducators, of a surveyed group of college students, 85% felt overwhelmed by everything they had to do at some point in the last year.
All is not lost, for colleges have attempted to remedy these problems as best as they can. Mental health days are now found in some University schedules, and some schools have created therapist positions on campus as well. There are now help centers for any student experiencing a mental health problem.
This is hardly enough, but it is a step in the right direction. There is a problem, an epidemic of mental health issues faced by our college student population, one that will not have a simple solution. But the creation of safe spaces for students to express what they are and have experienced, the institution of days for mental health purposes is starting is checking off a few boxes on a long list of to-dos.
Universities need to continue to support the students who attend them, and this is something that can almost always be bettered.
The largest takeaway, and the most important part of this conversation, is the fact that this is a conversation that will never go away. It is a conversation that should not be stigmatized. It is a conversation we, as college students, need to be having. Especially with the universities, we attend.