Student’s Mental Health: Points to Consider
Mental health problems affect everything in our lives.
These can cause us to lose concentration, diminish our mental abilities, and take away the optimism from our lives. In the world of education, the triggers for stress are all around.
Every student these days feels some stress. Whether they study in college or university, have troubles with a teacher or a paper, stress is common in school.
How Can a Student Reduce Stress?
While some levels of stress are good because they push us to be more productive, too much stress can be harmful. The pressure to do well at the university is enormous, and the tasks are usually more than anyone could handle.
If you have to juggle lesson after lesson, study for exams, and write papers, you are bound to feel overwhelmed. Over time, this can create serious mental health issues.
This is why more and more students these days decide to get writing help from assignment help consultants to have more free time to focus on their classes and studying.
The stress from exams is big enough to add term papers, essays, and research projects into the equation. Pressure from peers and family doesn’t help either – they all expect you to get high grades and be amazing at school. Some help can make a lot of difference for the mental health of students.
Mental Health Problems and How to Detect Them
The number of college students facing mental health challenges today is very big and growing. In the National College Health Assessment of 2021, around 30% of students said that anxiety affected their academic performance in a bad way.
This is why it is important to understand and know how to recognize the 3 biggest mental health challenges that students face these days.
- Depression
Depression is a psychological disorder. People that suffer from it experience persistent feelings of hopelessness, sadness, and they lack any interest in activities they liked before.
When someone goes through a depressive episode, they cannot focus, don’t have the motivation to get out of bed, and cannot even sleep. Some symptoms are mood swings, appetite changes, body pains without a cause, and headaches.
Depression is one of the most frequently diagnosed mental health conditions among students in the US. The Healthy Minds Study found that 41% of students screened positive for this condition.
How to Recognize Depression
People can have different symptoms when they suffer from depression. Some of the more common things to look for are:
- Lack of appetite
- Changes in sleep habits and insomnia
- Trouble concentrating
- Lack of interest in activities they liked before
- Constant feelings of sadness and powerlessness
- Increase in pessimism
- Isolating from others
- Not wanting to get out of bed
- Difficulty completing the school tasks
You can have some of these and not be depressed. However, if they persist and you frequently notice such episodes, it’s best to talk to a professional.
- Substance Misuse
As we all know, students in college and university frequently attend parties and use recreational drugs and alcohol. This is common but it can easily become problematic.
If the student has a pattern of psychological – or even physical dependence on alcohol, drugs and other substances, they have a mental health problem. Many students today have symptoms of alcohol and drug misuse today.
In the attempt to fit in socially or get the much-needed relief from the stressful student life, they start misusing substances and consume them too often. While many won’t develop an addiction and will do this only recreationally, a high number experience trouble.
How to Recognize Substance Misuse
Let’s go through some of the most common symptoms that show someone is misusing substances:
- Suspicious behaviors
- Sudden change in hobbies, interests, and friends
- Change of physical appearance – weight gain or loss, changes in grooming habits
- Slurred speech
- Sudden financial crises
- Impaired coordination
- Bloodshot eyes
- Paranoia and anxiety without a reason
It is sometimes very hard to understand if the use of substances has become habitual and is no longer recreational. This is why you should try to quit and if you experience withdrawal symptoms, contact a professional immediately.
- Anxiety
The third common mental health problem of students is anxiety. Education is not easy, so most students mount the feelings of tension, worry, and panic day after day. If this is too severe, anxiety can become a medical condition and the student will require treatment.
How to Recognize Anxiety
Symptoms of anxiety include:
- Constant stress and restlessness
- Trouble concentrating and memorizing
- Easily irritable
- Muscle tension and pain
- Excessive dizziness
- Shortness of breath
If you experience worrisome thoughts frequently, you might be suffering from this condition. Speak to a professional to get advice and treatment.
Wrapping Up
There are many mental health problems that can result from the stressful life students are living. It is very important to know how to recognize such problems and, if you notice them in you or your friends, get professional help.