Nearly a quarter of students suffer from some form of anxiety and depression, according to a recent study. Parents back home may be concerned that their teenager who has recently flown the nest is not coping, and this can impact on family wellness. The good news is, however, that more of these students are now feeling able to seek help.
The mental health survey revealed that, nationally, a large percentage of students were finding their wellbeing affected by the symptoms of mental illness when living away from home for the first time, and this is a problem that universities are finally beginning to cotton on to. They are now stepping up their efforts to provide mental health services to students, to help them work through these issues more quickly and to avoid them detracting from the serious business of their studies.
Whilst the numbers of students who are suffering from these types of wellness issues have remained the same, the so-called ‘help gap’ has narrowed, meaning that there are better systems in place to identify and treat mental health issues among students, particularly anxiety and depression.
These often take the form of depression screenings, where students can attend a clinic to have a free, confidential screening that will identify whether they are suffering from depression or anxiety. Depending on the outcome of this screening, students are offered the opportunity to speak to a medical professional, who will then be able to refer them to the appropriate professionals such as counsellors, or consider whether medication may be of any benefit in their specific case.
The numbers of students using these services are increasing year-on-year. This may be attributed to increased awareness of the services or it may be in part due to a change in the way that mental illness is perceived in society. There is now far less of a stigma associated with getting a diagnosis and seeking help, and so young people are far more likely to come forward.
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