Roughly 18 percent of American adults are affected by an
anxiety disorder, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of
America (ADAA). That’s forty million people, in the United States alone. 75 percent of
this population say that they have experienced their first episode of anxiety
before the young age of 22. Most college students are between the ages of 18
and 24, and because of their setting, they are more likely to develop mental
health issues than older age groups. In 2008, Associated Press and mtvU survey
of college students found that at least 13 percent of students have been
diagnosed with a mental health condition such as an anxiety disorder or
depression. At least 80 percent of students experience frequent stress or
encounter stress on a daily basis in their lives. This stress affects not only
the mental health, but can affect other aspects of daily life, if not properly
treated.
The Rise of Depression and Other Mental Illnesses in Schools
Recently, depression has been increasingly common among students. In a recent
survey of 765 people (59 percent being current students) conducted by National
Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), depression was the number one type of
illness reported. It's not unusual for one to have more than one mental illness simultaneously. It’s also dangerous because mental health issues affect the
brain and one’s way of thinking and they can co-occur with other issues. For
example, it’s common for someone with anxiety issues to also suffer depression.
Other diagnoses of illnesses that make up 12 percent are borderline personality disorder, dysthymia, eating disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), schizoaffective disorder, and autism spectrum disorder. Just because you can’t see mental health issues out the outer appearance doesn’t mean
that they are inferior to physical health issues. As a matter of fact, people
which mental health issues require just as much attention as people with other
issues. According to the ADAA, people with an anxiety disorder are three to
five times more likely to visit the doctor than people who do not have an
anxiety disorder.
How Mental Health Problems Affect Students
There are many factors that contribute to the development of
mental health issues in young adults. Stephanie Rivero, Assistant Coordinator
of the CARE to Stop Violence program at the University of Maryland, shares effects that mental health issues
have on students.
Many young adults are students who transition into college
after grade school in their hometown. The transition is not always easy, and it
is a stress factor to some students. Even the infographic below presented by onlinecollegeclasses.com outline that adjusting to college life is the biggest cause of stress for students based on a 2010 national survey of college freshmen. Transitioning into a new environment and
meeting new people can be hard for some students. Because they’re surrounded by
unfamiliar faces, it may be hard to share their thoughts with others.
Not all students are like this, but the students that get stressed from school are at more risk. When stress builds up, it can lead to other issues such as academic distress, decreased social activity, or even thoughts of dropping out of college.
Not all students are like this, but the students that get stressed from school are at more risk. When stress builds up, it can lead to other issues such as academic distress, decreased social activity, or even thoughts of dropping out of college.
