As autumn approaches, new students arrive at the university campus and carry all sorts of things, including luggage, school supplies, mini fridges, and sports equipment. However, while preparing for the move-in date, many were not wondering what tools would be needed to support them emotionally.
In other words, what can they do to protect their mental health?
In 2017 Investigation Of the more than 700 parents and guardians, more than 40% said they did not discuss the possibility of anxiety or depression when helping teens prepare for college or high school. In addition, most caregivers said that on-campus mental health services were not a priority when choosing a school.
However, many teenagers are having a hard time. According to the Centers for Disease Control and PreventionIn 2019, more than one in three high school students continued to feel sad and hopeless, up 40% from 2009.
When they arrive on campus, these issues will not go away. Survey conducted in March Inside a higher education institution College Pulse then found that undergraduate students could rate overall mental health more than twice as much as “bad” (22%) and “excellent” (9%).
and, New research Using eight years of data from more than 350,000 students on nearly 400 campuses, the mental health of college students across the United States About decline.. Over 60% of students surveyed during the 2020-2021 school year met one or more mental health problem criteria, an increase of almost 50% from 2013.
Experts suggest that parents and teens take positive steps now to help plan and maintain mental health during the major transition to college.
Contact the counseling center as soon as possible
Consider contacting the university’s counseling center before arriving at the campus. This is especially important for people who already have emotional disabilities or other mental health concerns.
At SUNY Bloom Community College in Binghamton, NY, the Counseling Center will begin examining registered students on August 1, one month before class begins.
“Often, students who come to us early have a lot of things to unpack,” said Melissa Martin, a licensed social worker and president of the school’s counseling services.
Jed FoundationA suicide prevention organization aimed at protecting the emotional health of teenagers and young adults, suggest Ask your school’s counseling center:
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What kind of service is provided?
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What is the maximum number of sessions allowed per year?
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Do you have a 24-hour counselor? If not, what non-business hours emergency services are available?
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What accommodations are available through disability services for students with mental illness?
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What is the school’s policy regarding leave of absence?
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Are there other types of support available, such as text lines and resident advisors?
Check to see if the counseling center offers off-campus referrals and collect a short list of providers that you might put in your back pocket before arriving at school. This is a good practice for any student, as the school’s counseling center may need to seek outside support if they create a waiting list. It also helps you to familiarize yourself with your insurance plan and see what types of insurance are offered. If you do not use your parents’ plans, compare campus health insurance with other available options such as those offered by the Affordable Care Act.
“I don’t think it’s too early to say,’Hey, I need help,'” Martin said. “You may not see someone else reaching out for help, but they aren’t talking about it.”
Research found Color students Unlikely Using mental health services offered on campus rather than white students is not only due to the stigma associated with mental health care, but also due to the lack of diversity among counseling staff.
Ebony O. McGee, a professor of diversity and STEM education at Vanderbilt University’s Peabody University, said that anyone looking for a color provider would have to bear the extra burden of finding a therapist off campus. He said it might not be.
“The student may not actually do that, which opens up the possibility of looking at unhealthy things,” she said.
Accept other types of support
Besides the counseling center, there are many resources available to students. Tutoring, academic and peer counsel, teaching, student activities and career services all help support the emotional well-being of students.
According to experts, connecting with other students is especially important.
John McFee, Chief Executive Officer of the Jed Foundation, said:
Take the time to look at your school’s extracurricular activities and clubs and think about ways to interact with others while you’re on campus. MacPhee should consider hiring a roommate, even if you have the option of living alone. This will allow you to expand your social network and mitigate stressors.
Don’t count your high school friends and people at home, such as siblings, parents, religious leaders, and others who have helped you in particular.
“I often recommend making a list of your three to five biggest supporters in your life,” Martin said. “And I know I can contact one of them when I’m not feeling great at school.”
One way color students can protect their mental health is to take African-American history and ethnic studies classes to investigate some of the structural problems that cause stress, anxiety, and depression. Is to do. Studied The emotional struggle experienced by highly educated black students.
“When many black and brown students are in a mental health situation, it’s often because of a racialized or gendered racialized experience,” she said. “It’s about the environment that creates a sense of alienation.”
Dr. McGee recommended looking for a comfortable and understanding space. “Go to places and places where you are affirmed and celebrated, not just tolerated,” she said. It can be an extracurricular activity or a religious group — wherever you can find students of other marginalized colors.
Practice basic health habits
Experts say that teens eat, sleep, and how they eat, sleep, and think that they may have developed unhealthy habits in the summer before college, especially during a pandemic. You need to know if you are socializing. Ignoring the basic needs of students makes it difficult to develop a healthier mental state.
Learning how to support yourself and taking steps to become more self-reliant can also make your transition to college more uncomfortable. Practice budget management before arriving on campus. Defend yourself with a teacher, doctor, or coach. Or spend time outside your childhood home, perhaps with relatives, or in a summer camp.
Dave Anderson, a clinical psychologist at the Childmind Institute, a non-profit organization that provides treatment and other services to children and families with mental health and learning disabilities, said, “I’m sick of senior years, especially at Covid’s age.” It says it could be a “vehicle like that”. “It’s just ups and downs, and disappointment and hope, just trying to understand where they are.”
He started getting eight hours of sleep every night for a teenage client (who slept an average of five hours a night during his fourth grade) this summer and how much time he spent on the screen. I advised you to know if. His client also started eating a healthier diet with more vegetables and knew that his college lessons would start later in the day, so he started exercising first thing in the morning.
Drinking is “another very open discussion with teens in the summer before college,” said Dr. Anderson. He added that many high school students are already socially drinking alcohol with their friends and may feel drinking and “pre-match” pressure at college. However, teens can now set boundaries to be mentally prepared for these and other types of situations, such as drug use and sexual situations.
“How can you set intentional goals related to your limits this summer and make sure you feel safe for yourself?” He asks teens attending college. The conversation can sometimes strain parents, Dr. Anderson added.
“But if we can tell the kids honestly about it, they’ve practiced and are more likely to set those limits when they enter college.”
