College students throughout the nation have fallen victim to mental health concerns in recent years. The American Psychological Association reports that nationwide, “Ninety-five percent of college counseling center directors surveyed said the number of students with significant psychological problems is a growing concern in their center or on campus, according to the latest Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors survey of counseling center directors.”
“Mental illness refers to a broad range of conditions that can affect one’s mood, thinking and behavior,” said Dr. Leila Azarbad, associate professor of psychology. “In order to diagnose a mental illness, there must be evidence of distress or dysfunction.”
North Central College is not exempt from this rise in mental illness, so much so that PHAME has come into being. PHAME stands for Positive Healthy Active Minds Evolving and it is an 8-year-old student organization that is attempting to “erase the stigma behind mental health,” according to their social media.
PHAME president Melissa Higgins, ’19, said organizations like this are necessary on college campuses because it “gives students somewhere to go and a place to feel comfortable with other people for support.”
According to Craig Dent, ’20, college is different and more stressful than high school “because it’s homework plus being an adult” and “constantly wears at you until all of a sudden it’s a big problem.”
The American Psychological Association reports that “Anxiety is the top presenting concern among college students (41.6 percent), followed by depression (36.4 percent) and relationship problems (35.8 percent)” and that “seventy percent of directors believe that the number of students with severe psychological problems on their campus has increased in the past year.”
Some students agree with this data that anxiety is the most prevalent mental health concern present on college campuses. “There is a constant pressure to make a future for yourself and find a career all at the same time as countless mundane assignments,” said Dent.
Higgins listed off things like academic pressures, future planning, adjusting to a new social environment and others when asked about what stressors college students are exposed to.
In addition to the anxiety provided by academic pressures, Azarbad said that “technology has become a more recent stressor among many college students — we are able to connect and communicate very quickly, and with that can come a great deal of pressure.”
”Due to the sheer number of stressors and pressures that are placed on college students nowadays, all sources have placed emphasis on the fact that ‘you are not alone,’” said Higgins, “NCC has Dyson Wellness Center and please remember that there is someone going through a similar thing.”
