Lisa Dittrich

UWRT 1103

3 November 2019

The College Mental Health Epidemic: The Need for Education and Awareness

The APA defines mental illness as, “health conditions involving changes in emotion,

thinking or behavior (or a combination of these). Mental illnesses are associated with distress

and/or problems functioning in social, work or family activities.” ​In any one year, five percent of

adults or 48.3 million people experience a mental illness, and 46.4 percent of adults will

experience a mental illness during their lifetime (Kapil). Seeing the statistics, it is bound to

happen that mental illness will be prevalent in higher education settings. Anxiety disorder is the

most prevalent mental illness among college students with 11.9% suffering (Pedrelli). In a 2016

study by the Healthy Minds Network, it was found that 39 percent of students were struggling

with at least one mental health disorder. Mental health is a serious topic in and outside of the

education system, and measures need to be taken to help people, and more specifically students,

cope with mental illness. There should be more education and awareness around mental illness in

all levels of education. The college level can be a great time to start incorporating mental health

education because it can help students perform better in classes and eventually can have a more

positive impact in their careers after college.

The Center for Collegiate Mental Health at Penn State found gut wrenching results

during a study they had conducted, 26 percent of students in the 2015-2016 school year had

purposefully injured themselves, a 4.2% rise from just five years before. 33.2% said they had

seriously considered attempting suicide, a 9.4% increase from five years before (Tugend).
Deanna Dannels, a writer for Taylor and Francis, an international academic publishing company,

observes mental health impacts on students at a national level. She says that 55 percent of

students stated they have been diagnosed or treated by a professional for a mental illness while

they were in college, 52 percent of students who sought treatment for their mental health were

diagnosed with severe psychological illness, and 94 percent of center directors reported an

increase in services addressing certain mental disorders in the past five years. She also hits right

at home for instructors with this statistic, 64 percent of students who drop out say that mental

illness was the reason for their withdrawal. Dannels also brings in one of her own stories from

her institution, she says a student shared that she would rather sit in silence than tell her advisor

her mental state out of fear of being seen as weak (Dannels). The statistics are clear, and they are

alarming. Something needs to be done to bring these numbers to a halt. Increases in counseling

services are not making a difference for one simple reason that Dannels makes clear in her story,

fear and shame. This feeling that students get is correlated with the stigma behind mental

illnesses and there is one solution that hasn’t been widely tried yet, national education on mental

illness. Throughout school we have all gone through multiple classes focused on drugs, alcohol,

and sex, but very rarely have these classes ever mentioned mental illness. Learning about mental

illness is just as important as learning about drugs, alcohol, and sex. Something needs to change

in order to incorporate this topic into our education system.

Dannels includes a study that shows students reasons for not reaching out for help, most

students said, “no one can understand my problem” and that they worry about what others think.

Her solution? She advocates for better instructional practices and advancing disciplinary

knowledge about identifying and addressing mental health and the stigma around it. I highly
agree with Dannels's ideas and I think the best way to lower stigma around mental illness is

education and awareness. When we think about it, that is all stigma is, a misconception about a

subject due to lack of knowledge and education. By advancing disciplinary knowledge about

identifying and addressing mental health, the root of the stigma can be tackled which can halt it

from making a comeback.

Luna Greenstein, writer and blog manager for The National Alliance On Mental Illness

(NAMI), focuses on the other side of stigma, the outsiders view. She assesses 5 components that

could be the culprit of stigma: responsibility, uncertainty, unpredictability, incompetence, and

dangerousness. Greenstein brings the five components to life with examples that feature the

character Alan who lives with bipolar disorder. The first culprit, responsibility, is the act of

holding people with mental illnesses responsible for their conditions, they believe the victims are

to blame for their symptoms. Second, uncertainty, Some mental illnesses are deemed as

uncertain which means that they are unlikely to be improved which could cause family and

friends to see them as a waste of time. Third, unpredictability, which deals with the short-term

consequences of a mental illness. Some may perceive others as unpredictable and erratic due to

their symptoms. Fourth, people may see those with mental illnesses as incompetent to make

rational decisions. Finally, many people think those with a mental illness are dangerous and will

commit random acts of violence. Greenstein makes it clear that most of the time, the complete

opposite is true, the mentally ill are people just like the rest of us (Greenstein). Although the

stigma around mental illness can be a tough subject and causes those with illnesses to potentially

fall deeper into their illness, it is important to know the other side. We always hear about the

victims view but never the outsiders view. By knowing why others feel a certain way towards
someone that has a mental illness, it can make it easier to confront these five components and

educate the person on their misconception. As said by Greenstein, “But the truth is, we all know

someone like Alan. And more often than not, he’s not dangerous or unpredictable or incompetent

or hopeless. He’s just Alan.” We need to see people as who they are as a person, not their

disorder. If you feel frustrated, scared or uncomfortable by someone with a mental illness, you

can only imagine what the person living with it feels. Empathy is key.

Boston University Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation identifies common limitations for

students with mental illnesses. They include inability to screen out environmental stimuli,

inability to concentrate, lack of stamina, difficulty handling time pressures and multiple tasks,

difficulty interacting with others, difficulty handling negative feedback, and difficulty

responding to change. The inability to screen out environmental stimuli can lead to students

having a hard time paying attention in class, inability to concentrate can lead students to have a

short attention span, be easily distracted, or having a hard time remembering verbal instructions.

Lack of stamina can lead to a student not having enough energy to walk around campus, carry a

full course load, or take a long exam. Difficulty handling time pressures and multiple tasks can

lead to students having trouble managing assignments, setting priorities, or meeting deadlines.

Difficulty interacting with others makes it harder to talk to other students, get notes or discuss

assignments, participate in class, and make friends. Difficulty handling feedback can lead to

students having a hard time interpreting and understanding criticism. Difficulty responding to

change can lead to students' stress levels rising in response to things such as a change in due

dates (Boston University Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation). Students with mental illnesses,

as we can see, can go through some rough times at school and they cannot overcome these alone,
they need help. Dannels puts her foot down and urges teachers to make a difference, “Lives are

at stake. And we, as teachers, are often the front line. Period.” teachers need to realize that this is

their problem too, there are no excuses for the dreaded words “Yeah but... it really isn’t my job

to counsel students who have issues...” These words can cause so much more harm in student's

lives when they are in desperate need of someone to talk to. Be a listening ear. Dannels makes it

clear that although instructors in higher education are not trained as counselors, nor should they

diagnose students, there is certainly a need for pedagogical and relational interventions. Many

people don’t notice, but some students with mental illness can have a profuse amount of trouble

in educational settings, they just choose to hide it due to the stigma around it. I agree with

Dannels when she says that teachers are at the front line of this issue because they are the

student's caretakers throughout the school day, and they need to make sure all students are

healthy and safe, even mentally. Teachers should have training for instances like these because

as we can see by the statistics, it is a rapidly increasing problem. Some call it a college mental

health epidemic. Many teachers are victims of the fundamental attribution error, the tendency for

people to under-emphasize situational explanations for an individual's observed behavior while

over-emphasizing dispositional and personality-based explanations for their behavior. By

teachers having training, noticing warning signs, and making themselves known to be

approachable and caring adults, many students' lives can be saved.

The American Psychiatric Association (APA) makes an incredible point on why

education and awareness around mental illness are essential for healthy minds in students, “Just

as with other medical illnesses, early intervention can make a crucial difference in preventing

what could become a serious illness.” The best way to make early interventions occur on a large
scale is to make sure enough education and awareness are surrounding the situation. Nancy

Barlie, a national board-certified teacher, observes, “Because teens spend most of their day at

school, it just makes sense to have mental health awareness and education become part of the

curriculum. When we empower students with knowledge and encourage dialogue, students will

be able to get the help they need.” Since students spend so much time at school, it is a great place

to educate students about mental health. In doing so, students, as well as teachers, will have a

greater amount of knowledge on the subject which could cause students to be more open to

getting treatment and could cause teachers to know what to do if there is a student in need of

help. Many college students go into the workforce after college, so it only makes sense to include

the problems and consequences of mental illness in the workforce. The Center for Disease

Control and Prevention (CDC), states that poor mental health and stress can negatively affect an

employee through job performance and activity, engagement with one's work, communication

with coworkers, and physical capability and daily functioning. They also give some solutions to

these setbacks, employers can make mental health self-assessment tools available to everyone,

offer free or subsidized clinical screenings, offer health insurance that is low or no out of pocket

cost for medications and counseling, host seminars or workshops that address depression and

stress management techniques, provide managers with training to help them recognize the signs

and symptoms of stress and depression in team members, and give other institutions the ability to

help the problem (CDC). Most college students are completing higher education to go into the

workforce, so what happens when college students with mental illness go into the workforce

without proper care? The problems facing them in college can follow them, never giving them a

break. If education, awareness, and early intervention are taken seriously in high school and
higher education, the severity of mental disorders can be lowered or delayed (APA). This can be

a big advantage for students in and after college. All of the limitations in school and problems in

the workspaces can be easier to manage or they may even diminish. This can cause better well

being in life and even a potentially greater income.

I want everyone who reads this to not only be more educated on the subject of mental

illness in higher education, but to also be able to use something from this piece in their everyday

lives, so here are self-help techniques for those with mental illnesses and warning signs for those

who don’t so they can watch out for others. The APA first starts by explaining how most mental

illnesses are slow-growing, which means family, friends, and teachers can start to see the first

symptoms. They say that learning the early warning signs and early interventions can reduce the

severity of the illness. The APA dives into two main concepts, the signs, and symptoms and how

to help. The signs and symptoms include sleep or appetite changes, mood changes, withdrawal,

drop in functioning, problems thinking, increased sensitivity, apathy, feeling disconnected,

illogical thinking, nervousness, and unusual behavior. The APA informs people that if they

suspect their loved one has a mental illness and needs help they should encourage them to have

an evaluation, learn about mental illness, and be monitored closely for conditions. The helper

should also consider the stigma around mental illness when speaking with the individual and

encouraging these things. Emmie Pombo, a writer for the NAMI, goes into self-help techniques

for those living with mental illness. She advises Incorporating techniques like radical acceptance,

deep breathing, opposite-to-emotion thinking, the five senses, mental reframing, and emotion

awareness. Pombo defines radical acceptance as “completely and totally accepting something

from the depths of your soul, with your heart and your mind.” This means to accept yourself,
accept your condition, then take the necessary steps to take care of yourself. Next, she advises

5-3-7 breathing in which you breathe for five seconds, hold your breath for three seconds, and

breathe out for seven seconds. Next, she advises opposite-to-emotion thinking, which is acting in

the opposite way that your emotions tell you to act. Next, she advises going through the five

senses, this grounds you back to earth and helps you to focus on what is real. Mental reframing is

thinking of a stressor or emotion and thinking of it from a different perspective, most often, in a

more optimistic perspective. Finally, she goes into emotion awareness where she urges people to

be in touch with their emotions by accepting that they are feeling a certain way, letting

themselves feel that way, and then taking action to diminish unhealthy feelings (Pombo).

Although it is great to learn the facts about mental illness in higher education, I also want to

encourage my readers to make a change and help themselves or others who experience a mental

health disorder. I want to spread awareness and help others do the same, not just preach on how

we should make a difference. There can’t just be words with no action, action needs to be taken

because change cannot happen without it.

There should be more education and awareness around mental illness in all levels of

education, and the college level is not too late to start. Stigma can cause many to stray away from

getting treatment or even talk about their illness, which can make the situation worse. Although

many people think those with mental illnesses are responsible for their illnesses and they are

uncertain, unpredictable, incompetent, and dangerous, but these components are just stereotypes.

We need to see people for them, not their illnesses. There are many limitations to students with

mental illnesses, and teachers need to have the proper training and education to notice the

warning signs so they can help. Education and awareness in schools can also lower the stigma
which will, in turn, let those in need of help to not feel ashamed to get it, enrich ordinary people

with skills to help those in need, and help students later in the workforce. If early intervention is

implemented, it can delay or minimize symptoms of illnesses, which can help those in any stage

of life work on their illness. So that by the time they get into the workforce they may either never

experience the problems listed earlier or they could be minimized. I encourage everyone to

incorporate self-help techniques or act on a warning sign you see in someone else. There cannot

be so much talk with so little action. We need to take a stand!

 Works Cited

American Psychiatric Association. “Warning Signs of Mental Illness.” ​American Psychiatric

Association,​ July 2018,

www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/warning-signs-of-mental-illness.

Boston University Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation. “How Does Mental Illness Affect My

School Performance? – Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation.” ​Boston University Center

for Psychiatric Rehabilitation​,

cpr.bu.edu/resources/reasonable-accommodations/jobschool/how-does-mental-illness-aff

ect-my-school-performance/.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Mental Health in the Workplace.” ​Centers for

Disease Control and Prevention​, 10 Apr. 2019,

www.cdc.gov/workplacehealthpromotion/tools-resources/workplace-health/mental-health

/index.html.

Dannels, Deanna p, and Kyle Rudick. “Yes, and ... : Continuing the Scholarly Conversation

about Mental Health Stigma in Higher Education.” ​Taylor & Francis​, 21 May 2018,

www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03634523.2018.1467563?scroll=top&needAccess

=true.
Greenstein, Luna. “Understanding What Causes Stigma.” ​NAMI​, 28 Dec. 2016,

www.nami.org/Blogs/NAMI-Blog/December-2016/Understanding-What-Causes-Stigma.

Kapil, Rubina. “5 Surprising Mental Health Statistics.” ​Mental Health First Aid,​ 6 Feb.

2019,

https://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org/2019/02/5-surprising-mental-health-statistics/.

Pedrelli, Paola, et al. “College Students: Mental Health Problems and Treatment

Considerations.” ​Academic Psychiatry : the Journal of the American Association of

Directors of Psychiatric Residency Training and the Association for Academic

Psychiatry,​ U.S. National Library of Medicine, Oct. 2015,

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4527955/.

Pombo, Emmie. “Self-Help Techniques For Coping With Mental Illness.” ​NAMI,​ 1 Feb.

2019,www.nami.org/Blogs/NAMI-Blog/January-2019/Self-Help-Techniques-for-Coping

-with-Mental-Illnes.

Tudend, Alina. "Colleges Get Proactive in Addressing Depression on Campus; Learning

Resilience". ​The New York Times , ​June 7, 2017 Wednesday.

https://advance-lexis-com.proxy4.athensams.net/api/document?collection=news&id=urn:

contentItem:5NR8-2771-JBG3-6061-00000-00&context=1516831​.