Student Depression And Anxiety: Why You Are Not Alone
Being a student can be one of the most exciting, adventurous and enlightening periods of your life. But for many, it is far from that.
Most folk feel some anxiety when they move away to university and find themselves in an unfamiliar environment surrounded by strangers.
That can be more of a struggle for some than others, with many adjusting quickly and soon making friends, while others find this very hard. These problems are very common and are often compounded by a lack of support. Some respond by self-harming or suicide attempts, while others struggle on but may underperform academically or drop out.
However, in a lot of cases, the summer is the hardest time, because of the stress of exams and assignments.
Either way, if you are feeling anxious or depressed as a student, it is important to remember you are not alone. That in itself is a reason not to hesitate to seek student counselling services.
Fortunately, students are increasingly willing to admit to having problems. Government statistics have shown that in the 2020-21 academic year, over five per cent reported a mental health condition.
This alone was seven times the figure a decade earlier, but still massively understated the problem; a confidential survey carried out in 2022 by mental health charity Student Minds found 57 per cent self-reporting a problem.
Some may think the recent surge in mental health problems has been a lingering effect of the pandemic, but the fact that reported problems have been rising for years suggests otherwise.
Moreover, the student world was hardly seen as a place of good mental health in pre-pandemic days, with an Office for National Statistics survey in 2019 finding 37 per cent of students were depressed and 39 per cent anxious.
Student life is tough at times. But with counselling to help you build resilience and deal with troublesome situations more effectively, you can go a long way towards not just surviving at University but thriving.