By the age of 25 years, 75% of young adults have already had their first onset of a mental health disorder. Knowing what common mental health challenges you might face as a young adult can help you educate yourself on ways to cope with these challenges so they don’t affect your school and personal life. Keep on reading to learn more about the top five mental health challenges that college students face along with some ways to overcome these struggles.
Top 5 Mental Health Challenges Facing College Students
College students can face a variety of challenges regardless if it’s their freshman year or final year of study. Knowing what mental health challenges you might face as a college student can help you develop ways to overcome these struggles in a healthy way.
- Stress: Students can experience stress to varying degrees resulting from feeling looming deadlines, high workloads, or from other types of overwhelming situations.
- Disordered eating: Eating habits can change as a result of societal norms, stress, depression, anxiety, or other mental health challenges.
- Depression: Depression is a mood disorder that results in individuals feeling persistent bouts of sadness and hopelessness that can result in a loss of interest in activities and suicidal ideations.
- Anxiety: Presenting as persistent feelings of worry, panic, and tension, anxiety is a common feeling that many experience. However, if it continues for extended periods, seeking help can enable individuals to manage and overcome these feelings.
- Substance addiction and misuse: College students sometimes use and abuse consuming alcohol and recreational substances, which can result in a psychological or physical dependence on these substances.
Ways To Overcome These Challenges
Talking about the mental health challenges you’re struggling with is the first step in helping you overcome them. Finding someone you can trust with these challenges who can offer a sympathetic ear and can brainstorm ideas that can help you manage your mental health. Exercise and a healthy diet can also help promote a positive mindset. Enlisting the help of a therapist can also enable you to find custom solutions to help you overcome your unique situation. Some other strategies you might consider include:
- Creating a daily or weekly journal to log how you’re feeling
- Establishing a daily routine
- Maintaining a clutter-free space
- Taking time to focus on yourself
How Schools Can Help
Many schools have wellness offices and personnel that help promote a strong emotional and social life that can help students manage their overall health in college and wellness in Catholic school. From physical meetings to helpful webinars and informative videos, many colleges help students manage emotional, spiritual, social, and other crises. Other services commonly offered include classroom programs, referral services, support groups, community events, and facilitative teaching.
Knowing common mental health struggles that many college students have can help you feel less alone with these struggles and can help you preemptively create strategies to help you manage and overcome these feelings and struggles. Finding a college that focuses on student wellness can also help you find a healthy balance between your school and personal life.
