African American College Students

This article is a great article that relates to African Americans seeking mental health treatment at lower rates than whites. The article states that this disparity can be attributed to attitudes toward services, alternate coping, and differences in care. This article also illuminates biases in counseling.

Earning a college degree has long been considered—one of the major keys in achieving the American Dream. However, contrary to popular belief, that theory has been proven invalid. According to a recent study from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRBOSL), “Education does not help black and Hispanic college graduates protect their wealth the same way that it does for their white and Asian counterparts.”

The culture of a person suffering from mental illness affects whether or not they comply with treatment or rather continues with treatment. The economic status of an individual suffering from a mental illness plays a significant role in whether or not utilize mental health services. The attitudes toward treatment among African American Males have to do with their cultural, economic status and demographic factors (Versola-Russo, 2006). African American Males after having been diagnosed with a mental illness and discharged from the hospital find it difficult to return to work and to go back to normalcy as they know it (Eack & Newhill, 2012). Studies show that African Americans are less likely to use outpatient mental health services as compared

“Although, some students can take on increased pressure; other students will develop anxiety or depression” (Damer & Melendres. 2011). According to a study provided by 67 counselors from 54 different colleges from all over the United States, the most common mental health problems in community college students were general anxiety disorders at 84.8%, depression at 89.4% and stress at 89.4% (Katz & Davison. 2014). In another study 25% of students reported having mental health problems which included anxiety, and only 8% of students had been diagnosed with depression (Hussain et al. 2013).

The focus of this study is to compare college-students and non-college attending students in the U.S. and draw the similarities of mental health and stress disorders of these two groups. Including mood and anxiety disorders, alcohol abuse and taking into account gender, race, income, and region. Though it is noted that the non-college attending group have a higher dependency on drug use and nicotine and possess signs of bipolar, conduct and personality disorder in comparison to college students.

Psychological balance is necessary, not only for our well being, but also for the benefit of those we interact with. However, it is not always easy for college students to maintain that balance. Students face problems in their classes, such as procrastination or simply a difficult professor. Others might have to deal with large student loans and have to work multiple jobs while just barely getting by. For some, homesickness or depression might be a cause enormous stress in their lives. I have identified, in my own life, three ways to relieve college related stress and, in turn, work toward maintaining a psychological balance.

College is a time for young men and women to achieve a higher education in order to grasp their dreams and hopes for their lives. While on this endeavor, pressures in all forms, shapes, and sizes attack us nearly every day. As a college student the fear and lack of money show their ugly head all the time. Learning to budget money, deciding what is important to spend limited funds on, and the ever present repayment of college loans puts stress on students. But the pressure that weighs the most on my mind is the health of my family members. Letting these fear, distract your attention and focus can lead to a place of depression and anxiety - I would personally know because it has affected me only six weeks into college.

College students of all majors have one thing in common; stress. Colleges counseling centers are treating more and more students every year for symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress, but the most common intervention is counseling (Sanford, 2014). Getting good grades seems to be more important than mental health and overall well-being of students, including getting the best test scores (Tate, 2015). Kids of all ages are told by teachers that grades and tests are all that is important and that success in the classroom must come first (Tate, 2015). Mental health and stress reduction often get over looked (Tate, 2015). Many times stress, anxiety and depression are not taken care of and people can be embarrassed to ask for help. One

Going to college is a new chapter in a student’s young life. They will face greater academic demands, financial responsibilities, exposure to new people, and being on their own in a new environment. Someone that already has difficulty dealing with the daily stresses of life may become overwhelmed with new challenges and become depressed. People who have problems with depression have both mental and physical symptoms (Frye, 1942). Some mental symptoms that a person may carry include guilt, low self-esteem, and feelings of worthlessness and inadequacy (NMHA, 2001). The physical symptoms include over eating as well as not eating enough food. Someone may also have problems with sleeping and may find it difficult

Depression among college students has been a tragedy since the stresses of doing well and achieving the greatest have taken over students’ lives. Flyers around campus and posters on busses have shown us that 1 in 3 Terps (Maryland University students) will experience symptoms of depression. National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) has named the illness depression as a feeling of sadness that extends beyond a couple days and interferes with daily life (Depression, NIMH). Maintaining a balanced life-style is difficult as a college student but when experiencing symptoms of depression, difficult starts to become an understatement. 8.4% of college students are said to experience some sort of depressive symptom during their time on a college campus (Depression, NIMH). According to the Suicide Prevention Center, 7 - 8% of undergraduate students seriously considered suicide and 1-2% of students actually committed suicide (Suicide Prevention Resource Center). Depression was a common factor in all of these individuals (Suicide Prevention Resource Center). As seen by the statistics stated above, health behaviors that are necessary to target are depression and suicide in college students at the University of Maryland, College Park. This is a topic worth addressing because of the high risk of depression among college students. According to a survey done by the University of Maryland, many students who want or think they need guidance do not know where to go; they are either already

Mental health affects the way people think, feel, and act. This type of health includes a person’s emotional, psychological, and social well-being (HHS, 2017). Mental health impacts a person’s everyday life and without receiving the proper help that they need, could resort to self-medicating or extreme measures. Approximately 800,000 people die by completing the act of suicide every year, which makes suicide the second leading cause of death among 15-29 year olds. (WHO, 2017). Universities and college campuses are on the frontlines of young at-risk people’s lives. When young people move to college it is a large transition time in their lives. For most college youth, this is their first time moving away from home and with rigorous course work, the stress can be overwhelming. This particular time in their lives is when the onset of most mental disorders arise.

A variety of factors impact the academic performance of first-year college students, some of which affect the undergraduate majorly and are disregarded by the student. Although these factors are components of a new change while transitioning to a college or university, students are not able to see the importance and how each one is increasing the amount of stress. Psychopathology is the study of mental disorders, the causes and effects of each disorder and health consequences it leads to. The start of a new lifestyle influences the lives of undergraduate students undergoing anxiety, as they face separation from loved ones, experience constant change in personality and are economically unstable.

Many college students in the modern world are under a lot of stress from the world around them. This stress that they are experiencing can cause some mental health issues. There are many factors that contribute to the stress and mental health problems of college students. One factor is the students are in college away from the usual parental guidance that has overshadowed them the past 17-18 years of their lives. These students are now experiencing the weight of the world on their shoulders and feel the stress of how they are ever going to be able to make their life work out. Another factor is that students are now feeling the financial burden that is created while in college. Students are now working to pay for not only college but also everyday life. This is something that many students have not been used to in the past couple of years. There is also a lot of pressure on the students in college by their family and society to be successful in whatever they enter into while in college. People are expecting the students to come out and be able to make a lot of money right off the bat. The family entity itself can cause stress for the student that is away at college. For example, while away at college, a student finds out that his/her parents decided to get divorced. This can cause a lot of stress and anxiety on the student. This can then lead them to slumping into depression, and worrying so much that they are not able to perform the way that they need to to be successful

Increased numbers of college students cannot afford treatment for mental health issues and many with anxiety disorder also show signs of depression. With increasing concerns about college student’s mental health, the ACHA challenged concerned professionals to use evidence-based approaches in planning college health strategies (Mahmoud, et. al., 2012). Many college students are in the ages termed emerging adults and are going through transitional periods in their lives. From a developmental perspective, young adult college students are in a transitional developmental stage between late adolescent and adulthood, which requires developing skill for maintaining independence and self-sufficiency (Mahmoud, et. al., 2012). These skills are required to develop and maintain intimate relationships, which can lead to stress if they are not achieved. Failure to accomplish these developmental tasks may result in life dissatisfaction overall (Mahmoud, et. al., 2012). This along with academic and financial stressors can lead to a negative mental health state for these individuals. As explained in many of the articles read anxiety is the result of an individual’s perception and reaction to these stressors and not the cause of the stressor.

College students are stressed all the time, so much that it has become a daily emotion in their academic career. College students stress increases when we go away to college because we have a lot of freedom that we never had before. Some students have been so dependent on their parents for so long that when it comes to daily task they are at so confused on how to properly complete it. In college we experience academic, financial, family, social, and family stress. Stress is a normal human behavior but it can physically and mentally harm us. To deal with stress one has to find ways to cope in order to decrease their stress level. Ideal coping mechanisms for a college student is counseling, communication , and relaxation techniques instead of leisure activities.