Prioritizing Mental Health: A Guide for Students and Educational Institutions

Introduction

In today's demanding educational landscape, prioritizing mental health is paramount for students' overall well-being and academic success. Mental health encompasses our emotional, social, and psychological well-being, significantly impacting how students learn, engage, and thrive in school. Recognizing the unique challenges that students face, from academic pressures to social anxieties and the transition to adulthood, it is crucial to address mental health proactively. This article explores the importance of mental health for students, the factors influencing it, common mental health disorders, and strategies to support students' mental health and well-being.

The Mind-Body Connection and its Impact on Students

Human beings have a mind-body connection. This means our mental, physical, and social health affect each other. For students, mental health is important because it impacts how they learn and participate in school. Mental health affects students' ability to learn in school, academic achievement, ability to build positive relationships, physical health, and stress management.

The State of Student Mental Health

The American Academy of Pediatrics and two other child health institutions joined in declaring that child and adolescent mental health is a national emergency. This means understanding student mental health is more critical than ever.

Statistics reveal a concerning trend in student mental health. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, approximately one in six children in the United States experiences a mental health disorder. In college-aged students (young adults 18-25 years old), that number jumps up to one in three. The CDC reports that the most diagnosed mental health disorders in students are ADHD, anxiety, behavior problems, and depression.

Furthermore, recent studies reveal that the mental health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is particularly significant on students preparing to transition into college. Most notably, 61% of teenagers said that the pandemic has increased their feelings of loneliness. And 7 out of 10 teenagers reported that they struggle in some way with mental health challenges. Additionally, many said they experience excessive stress (45%) and depression (43%).

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Factors Influencing Student Mental Health

Multiple factors affect mental health. The more risk factors adolescents are exposed to, the greater the potential impact on their mental health. Factors that can contribute to stress during adolescence include exposure to adversity, pressure to conform with peers and exploration of identity. Media influence and gender norms can exacerbate the disparity between an adolescent’s lived reality and their perceptions or aspirations for the future. Other important determinants include the quality of their home life and relationships with peers. Violence (especially sexual violence and bullying), harsh parenting and severe and socioeconomic problems are recognized risks to mental health.

Several factors can influence a student's mental health, including:

Academic Pressure: The pressure to succeed academically can lead to stress, anxiety, and burnout.
Social Pressures: Navigating social relationships, fitting in, and dealing with peer pressure can be challenging.
Transition to Adulthood: College students often face the stressful tasks of separation and individuation from their family of origin while some may have to attend to numerous work and family responsibilities.
Environmental Factors: A student's environment affects their mental health. Supportive school environments help students thrive.
Personal Experiences: Trauma, abuse, and other adverse experiences can significantly impact mental health.
Lifestyle Choices: Nutrition, sleep, and substance use can also play a role in mental well-being.

Common Mental Health Disorders in Students

Mental health disorders can range from mild to severe. While there is no specific cause, mental health is affected by our biology (genes and brain chemistry), our environment and experiences (home life, trauma, abuse), and our lifestyle choices (nutrition, sleep, substance use).

Several mental health disorders are commonly diagnosed in students, including:

Anxiety Disorders: Approximately 11.9 % of college students suffer from an anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders are the most prevalent psychiatric problems among college students. These disorders can manifest as excessive worry, fear, and panic. Among the anxiety disorders, social phobia has an early age of onset (median age of onset between 7-14 years), while panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorders (GAD), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have somewhat later onsets.
Depression: Prevalence rates in college students of 7 to 9 %. Depression is characterized by persistent sadness, loss of interest, and feelings of hopelessness. Zisook et al. [10] found that over half of all cases of depression had a first onset during childhood, adolescence, or young adulthood.
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): Between 2 and 8 % of college students suffer from ADHD and approximately one fourth of students receiving disability services have ADHD. ADHD onsets during childhood and persists into adulthood in approximately one half of cases and negatively affects many critical areas in young adults. ADHD is characterized by difficulty paying attention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity.
Eating Disorders: A survey of 2,822 college students reported that 9.5% of students screened positive for an eating disorder with a greater proportion of females relative to males (13.5 vs. 3.6 %, respectively). Eating disorders such as bulimia, anorexia, and binge eating are common and often have their onset during adolescence with a rapid increase in risk during early adulthood. These disorders involve abnormal eating behaviors and preoccupation with body weight and shape.
Substance Use Disorders: Approximately one in five college students meet the criteria for alcohol use disorder (AUD) in the previous year (12.5 % alcohol dependence and 7.8 % alcohol abuse). The use of alcohol and illicit drugs peaks during young adulthood and slowly declines with age. Substance use disorders involve the misuse of alcohol, drugs, or other substances.

Recognizing Warning Signs

If a student is struggling with their mental health, there will be warning signs. Sometimes these are signs that the student needs help caring for their mental health. The warning signs could also be symptoms of a diagnosable mental health disorder.

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The following are signs and symptoms of a student struggling with their mental health:

Inattention
Hyperactivity
Impulsivity
Defiant behavior
Mood swings
Losing interest
Fear or panic
Worry
Changes in eating patterns
Changes in sleep
Physical symptoms like dizziness, chest pain, nausea, headaches, and rapid heart rate

When these signs and symptoms disrupt how we function at home, school, work, or in our relationships, it is time to get professional help. If left untreated, mental health disorders can lead to more serious problems, including:

Dangerous behavior such as substance use or high-risk sexual behaviors
Substance use disorders
Disordered eating patterns and eating disorders
Self-harm
Suicide

The Role of Schools in Supporting Student Mental Health

Schools play a key role in supporting students’ mental health and well-being. When students feel welcomed and connected to their school community, they have improved mental health and academic and behavioral outcomes and are less likely to engage in high-risk behaviors. Schools also rely on school counselors, psychologists, and community mental health providers to support students’ mental health and well-being.

Schools can deliver mental health services or resources to students who need them most. This helps students stay in school and stay engaged in learning.

Schools help promote the mental health and well-being of students through education, prevention, and early intervention. Schools that promote student mental health and well-being can improve classroom behavior, school engagement, and peer relationships.

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Strategies for Schools

Early Detection: The sooner a mental health concern is found and treated, the better. Schools can implement formal structures for mental health screening.
Meeting Mental Health Needs: Schools can deliver mental health services or resources to students who need them most.
Education and Awareness: Life skills education programs are also a chance for educators to combat mental health myths and reduce mental health stigma.
Promote Stress Management Techniques.
Increase Awareness of Online Tools for Support and Community Connection for Mental Health and Well-Being.
Expand Mental Health Services.
Invest in Integrated Student Support Systems and Community Schools.
Prepare All School Staff to Better Support Student Well-Being.

Specific Programs and Approaches

Multitiered Systems of Support (MTSS): MTSS are used by many schools and districts to support students' different levels of needs.
The Helping Adolescents Thrive (HAT) Initiative: HAT is a joint WHO-UNICEF effort to strengthen policies and programmes for the mental health of adolescents. More specifically, the efforts made through the Initiative are to promote mental health and prevent mental health conditions. They are also intended to help prevent self-harm and other risk behaviours, such as harmful use of alcohol and drugs, that have a negative impact on the mental - and physical - health of young people.
Campus Counseling Centers: Campus counseling centers are beneficial but not a one-size-fits-all solution to student mental health. A national survey found that 66% of college students felt counseling services improved their academic performance.
The Jed Foundation (JED): JED recommends a community-based model for protecting student emotional health and suicide prevention on campus.

How to Support Mental Health

The following are ways that students can care for their mental health:

Building a support network of trusted people
Taking care of physical health with good sleep, nutritious foods, and physical activity
Pursuing hobbies
Meditating
Journaling

Overcoming Mental Health Myths

Mental health education can overcome common myths such as:

Children don't have mental health disorders.
Mental illness is a choice.
Medication doesn't help mental disorders.

All these myths are false. Misinformation about mental health is dangerous for students.

Seeking Help

Students struggling with their mental health should talk to someone they trust. This could be a parent, teacher, or counselor. If the student feels unsafe or overwhelmed, they can contact a crisis hotline.

Guidance counselors at school are trained professionals to help with mental health. Here are ways you could start the conversation:

"I have a problem. Can we talk?"
"I'm having a tough time with __."

If you see someone else struggling with their mental health, the first thing to remember is you are not a counselor. You can offer support, but you also want to connect them with a professional. You can listen to them, share resources, and remind them that you care. Also, remember that not everyone wants help.

The Growing Importance of Mental Health Services in Higher Education

As prospective students now place a higher priority on mental health services before they even set foot on campus, an investment in mental health can impact future enrollment, current student academic performance, and retention rates.

A recent survey of prospective college students found that 50% have changed their views on the importance of mental health support for students. Additionally, 60% of prospective students said that mental health services are a very important factor when selecting which school they will attend.

Reasons to Invest in Campus Mental Health and Student Wellness

Improve Student Academic Performance: Mental health problems can impact the academic performance and success of a college student. Poor mental health contributes to lack of motivation and problems focusing which can lead to failing grades.
Support Student Mental Well-Being: College is already a stressful environment for students, especially after a year-long pandemic. As students return to campus, there will be a wide variety mental health concerns that can’t be solved with traditional counseling alone.
Promote Suicide Prevention: A number of students are returning to campus having lost a loved one from COVID-19 or still suffering from mental health challenges, such as depression, from the pandemic.
Increase Student Retention: The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) also found that 64% of young adults who dropped out of college dropped out due to mental illness.

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