Mental health crises don’t always manifest clearly in college students
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In a previous column, I turned the spotlight on a serious problem that is facing colleges and universities around the world: Student suicide. The gravity of this problem stems not only from its mere existence, which is a dreadful enough fact in itself, but rather its shocking prevalence.
Statistical data from universities that conduct research into the likelihood of suicidal ideation and action occurring among their student populations is alarming. However, the figures that are available come from a limited number of universities, namely those that collect such data and make the relevant figures public. The fact that the available data does not cover all colleges and universities is noteworthy because it means that there remain a significant proportion of higher education institutions that do not acknowledge instances of student suicide publicly, let alone share data on related risks.
In this column I take a slightly wider view, bringing into the picture the importance of paying attention to mental health (or, perhaps, mental ill-health) among college students and their peers.
While tragic, suicide is not the only serious challenge universities face in relation to the mental health of students. However, it tends to grab the attention of the public, possibly because it seems so shocking or extreme.
When we consider suicide in particular, the good news is that it is preventable. But preventing it requires us to pay close attention to the risk factors behind it, as well as to the general well-being of the student population. Certain identifiable mental health disorders need equal attention, therefore, not only because they are factors which may increase the risk of suicide, but also because they are potentially debilitating mental health conditions in their own right.
Researchers have identified a number of mental health issues to which college or university students are commonly vulnerable. Depression, for example, is a major and common one, along with a host of mental disorders that can coincide with it, especially those that might be associated with self-harm and substance abuse.
There also appear to be connections between potential problems and gender, family circumstances and financial concerns. Research suggests that conflict within the family is a contributing factor, and so are the roles that young people are expected to fulfill. Male students, for instance, are more likely to suffer from economic stress if they are responsible for providing for others.
Paying close attention to what the young people in our care are going through can save lives.
Tala Jarjour
In some cases the cost of studying at university might cause financial hardship and related stress. The rigorous academic demands placed on students are also a factor, with higher-ranked universities being likely candidates for higher levels of anxiety among students owing to expectations of excellence and greater competition. Such pressures can become combined, of course, in cases where student funding is contingent on academic performance.
While some common mental health problems might also increase the risk of suicide, they are of a serious enough nature that they warrant attention in their own right anyway.
Many universities are indeed taking steps to increase mental health support and dedicating increasing resources to the task. But the need for trained professionals remains great and appears to be growing.
In the UK, for example, researchers at the University of Cambridge observed, through national surveys, that the number of college-age young people needing mental healthcare increased from one in 10 in 2004 to one in nine in 2017.
Any such increase is, of course, cause for concern and action. But this pace of change pales in comparison with a further increase to one in six, which the researchers observed consistently during 2020 and 2021. This deterioration was specific to young people who had disorders that interfered with everyday life. It is not yet clear what is driving this deterioration but the data shows that young women are particularly vulnerable.
To be clear, five out of six people surveyed in 2021 did not report any mental health concerns, but one in every six young people had identifiable conditions.
There is no better time to pay attention to the mental health of young people than right now. To parents, caregivers or educators, a low mood might well seem to be part of the reality of life for a young person in their care who is navigating the transition to adulthood.
But in this day and age, knowing what we now do about the human psyche, paying close attention to what the young people in our care are going through can save lives. It might come down to something as simple as seeking professional help for a low mood that has gone on for a bit too long.
• Tala Jarjour is the author of ‘Sense and Sadness: Syriac Chant in Aleppo.’ She is a visiting research fellow at King’s College London and an associate fellow at Yale College.
