By Keely Mills, Volunteer Staff
Mental health is one of the largest issues in college students today. There are numerous distractions and things tugging at their attention; it is very difficult to not become overwhelmed.
It becomes even harder during finals season at the end of the semester when students are incredibly busy, and burnout is inevitable. Life feels to be bursting at the seams, and stress is very constant. Not only is stress incessant but it is known that this time of year is when seasonal depression starts to creep into young adults’ lives. How can college students, particularly freshmen who have never experienced all these things before, battle such big emotions?
During an interview with Karen DuBroc, the Director of Counseling Services at UMHB she describes the causes and solutions for the deterioration of mental health in college students from a counselor’s perspective.
“There tends to be a lot of stress this time of year, but unfortunately the workload is so heavy as we come upon the end of the semester, that it tends to be hard for students to find time to come in for counseling,” DuBroc states when asked about types of issues she sees in freshmen this time of the semester.
As mentioned previously, as the end of the fall semester approaches, students become busier and busier with schoolwork and other activities that it is difficult for them to even find time to potentially get the help they need. She proceeds to say that students are rushing to finish make-up work or get projects done, or do the extra credit their grades need.
“Also, we see stress sometimes with students feeling anxious about going home for such an extended
break, especially if his/her homelife is complicated and stressful. Often, students feel the pressure to know exactly what they want to do as a career, and might not give themselves the grace to slow down and test some options out, or even change their mind,” she says, “It is the first time in many students’ lives when they are experiencing some significant freedom to choose their lifestyle and future endeavors, and that can be overwhelming.”
Furthermore, she continues to answer this question in further detail as to reasons why stress is so apparent in freshmen. DuBroc declares that “students live in a culture of hyper-stimulation”.
“There are many studies on the stress effects of staring at a screen for multiple hours a day, and gaming addictions are rising at unprecedented speeds. Our brains and bodies crave opportunities for nothingness… the still, quietness that comes when we put all of that down and just breathe… may even meditate, or practice some gratitude in the solace of those moments,” she says.
The counseling center exists for the goal of learning to cope with that stress and finding strategies to decrease the feeling of being overwhelmed. Additionally, according to DuBroc, the main complaints they notice at the counseling center are anxiety and depression.
She ends with relaying some tips students who are struggling with their mental health can use, as well as strategies for stress and feeling overwhelmed or burnt out.
“One of the best things any of us can do to manage our mental health better, is to find a good counselor. We all have difficult experiences and things that have shaped the way we think, feel, and interact with others, and talking to someone objective who is trained to ask important questions and also committed to confidentiality, is a way to process all we are struggling with,” DuBroc states firstly.
“Of course, personally… in all the diagnosed anxiety and depression I have experienced, there is nothing more powerful and effective for managing my mental health than the relationship I have with God through Jesus. That is the greatest hope I can ever experience,” DuBroc offers as a second, and arguably most important, solution.
“Also, when we are examining this time of year, I think it is important to just take it one day at a time. Sometimes we just need someone to help us get organized and prioritize all the tasks. The CAE is a wonderful resource for that,” she says.
