Being a student brings exciting experiences, but at the same time, we need to discuss, how does school affect mental health? Truthfully, college students face many pressures and trials. Along with needing to plan their future and maintain their grades, they often move out of home for the first time. They also face constant social demands. Additionally, college is well-understood to be students’ first foray into adulthood. With the extra freedom comes higher self-responsibility. Due to all of the stress, uncertainty, and expectation, there is a link between students and mental health struggles. But what is the connection? How does post-secondary education affect young adults’ mental health? Let’s discuss how many of your peers struggle and what you can do to improve your wellness while in school.

How Does School Affect Mental Health?

As mentioned, college is understood to be an intense situation that often negatively impacts students’ mental wellness. The link between school and mental health comes down to the specific experience each person has while studying. However, there are common themes to the ways students struggle. Overall, there are five main areas of college life that can add to one’s mental health decline. These are academics, the social element, eating and sleeping habits, finances, and substance experimentation. Further, when multiple student mental health issues are combined, it can become a downward spiral. Rather than any of these areas being the top issue, they can simply add up to become overwhelming. Here are some of the ways school can lead to poor mental health.

Academic Pressure

Unsurprisingly, academic pressure is a key component as to why college students are stressed. A lot of weight and pressure is placed on getting a college education. Further, individuals are expected to do well in school so their education springboards them into their future. Since many internships, jobs, networking connections, and other opportunities arise from university, students feel the need to reach their full potential. Along with getting good grades, there is a social pressure that comes from academics. This often looks like the desire to be recognized by professors and alumni as a promising person to watch.

In many ways, attending college is the cumulation of many years of preliminary work. For example, students work hard in high school, attend extra-curriculars, take on part-time jobs, and tour college campuses before they graduate. Thus, once they are a college student, they’re aware of all the work they’ve done to reach their present situation. Yet, there’s no time for a break, because they’re now in a 4-year degree, or longer.

Social Challenges

Along with constant academic rigor, university is an endless stretch of social opportunities. Of course, students can be as social as they’d like to be. However, having a strong support network of friends is important with all the other stressors of young adulthood. Often, in order to find this core friend group, people feel the need to be highly social. Yet, this can lead to little personal time for recharging. Additionally, many college students want to find time for dating amidst the other busyness of school. Forming romantic relationships as a young adult who’s balancing so many things can be stressful, confusing, and anxiety-inducing. Often, relationships add an extra element of overwhelm to a student’s plate.

New Sleep and Eating Habits

Because of the changes and busyness of college life, students frequently undergo abnormal sleeping and eating habits. Whether they live at home or on a college campus, they make new routines. Often, these leave little time for cooking healthy meals and getting enough sleep at night. The “freshman 15” is commonly referenced, referring to how new students may gain weight in their first year of post-secondary. Sometimes this is because they experiment with their on-campus dining options, or because they eat at irregular hours. Also, it can be due to not having time to exercise, eating unhealthy but easy options, and drinking a lot of alcohol. Regardless, the negative effects of new eating habits can add stress.

Additionally, getting enough sleep at night is crucial for mental cognition, positive mood, and mental health. Yet, sleep can be one of the first things to go when students are so busy. They have to balance their classes, homework, job, fitness, and social life. However, a lack of sleep and stress are closely connected. Not getting enough sleep exacerbates stress, but feeling stressed also prevents quality sleep. Markedly, 45 percent of people feel stressed by their lack of sleep.

Financial Stress

Undeniably, university adds a financial burden to students and/or their families. Financial scholarships, loans, and grants help relieve costs. However, to receive and keep funding, one has to maintain certain grades or extracurriculars, which also adds stress. To pay for school, 74 percent of part-time students and 40 percent of full-time students have a job. Paying for undergraduate schooling is a constant pressure for the 4+ years one is enrolled in school. Along with working during the semesters, many students head straight into a full-time job over summers, which keeps them busy. Additionally, those who receive loans are faced with the need to starts paying off their degree once they graduate.

Experimentation with Substance Abuse

Connected to all of the above stressors, a huge number of college students experiment with substances. In fact, more students use drugs and alcohol than their peers outside of post-secondary education. It is both a response to all the other stress in their lives, and an additional stressor. Self-medication refers to using drugs or alcohol to numb negative feelings, including stress, anxiety, overwhelm, depression, and loneliness. All of these are common issues faced by university students. Sometimes, students turn to substances to numb their pain and anxiety, in which case substances become an escape. Other times, students think they have to use drugs and alcohol because of the social pressure to be “fun.”

While all drugs are popular amongst experimenting young adults, some are especially targeted by students. Stimulants like Adderall are often abused by students because they provide more energy, focus, and alertness. Similarly, they can make people feel more social, confident, and easygoing. Other drugs, like marijuana and depressants, can help block feelings of anxiety, depression, and loneliness. However, drugs and alcohol are only a temporary mask. They only distract from the issues, not solve them, and over time, they lead to dependence and addiction.

What Are the Most Common Mental Health Issues Students Struggle With?

College students struggle with a wide range of mental health issues across the board. Each person is different, but there are common themes when it comes to mental health challenges during university. Looking at school and mental health statistics, anxiety disorders are the top mental health concern amongst college students. An estimated 11.9 percent have an anxiety disorder diagnosis, while countless more battle feelings of anxiety apart from a diagnosis. Anxiety disorders include generalized anxiety, social anxiety, panic disorder, and phobias. Further, depressive disorders like major depressive disorder (MDD) are also high in number at 9-11 percent occurrence in students. Other common mental health challenges among students are:

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Acute stress disorder (ASD)
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
Schizophrenia
Personality disorders
Eating disorders
Substance use disorder (SUD)
Alcohol use disorder (AUD)

What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Poor Mental Health?

It can be challenging to tell when someone is struggling with their mental health because they may hide it well. Additionally, mental disorders look different for each student. However, there are some general signs and symptoms that may indicate a state of poor mental health.

Self-isolation
Heavy drinking
Drug use
Changes in appetite, including eating a lot or little
Low mood
Mood swings
Irritability
Heaviness in the limbs
Sleeping a lot
Crying a lot
Missing classes
Neglecting schoolwork
Trouble making friends
Loss of interest in former passions

Tips for Maintaining Your Mental Health in College

It’s important that mental health in school is talked about, normalized, and treated. Feeling along in your struggles as a student just adds to your challenges. You are not alone if you battle poor mental health, whether you’re a current student, former student, or new student. Here are a few recommendations for how to take care of yourself amidst the craziness of college life.

Building a Routine

Don’t underestimate the power of routine! Even when life is busy, it’s important to maintain normalcy by following set habits and rituals. Penciling in time for your responsibilities, tasks, and plans will remove stress from the uncertainty of when you’ll get it done. Plus, it helps you stay organized so nothing falls between the cracks. In your daily or weekly routine, plan time to exercise, sleep, talk to loved ones, and take time for yourself.

Practicing Self-Care

Self-care is imperative for good mental health, especially when in college. You may not think you have time to practice self-care, but it can look like small actions and habits. For example, self-care definitely includes nights in, pampering yourself, and choosing rest over social plans every once in a while. However, it also looks like making healthy eating choices, saying “no,” prioritizing your interests and needs, and drinking water. One of the only things you have full control over is how you care for yourself, so advocate for your needs!

Using Campus Resources and Groups

As a student, you are never alone in your mental health struggles. Universities understand the many pressures you feel while in school. As such, they offer mental health resources for students. These may include therapy and counseling services, disability services for mental health challenges, seminars and trainings, or student groups. Utilize your campus’s student resources because they will help you find relief. Additionally, your college may connect you with a local mental health treatment center like Sound Recovery.

Avoid Drugs and Alcohol

Even though it may feel like everyone is doing it, avoid drugs and alcohol for your mental and physical health. Adding substance abuse into the mix of stressors will hurt you, because substance addiction always adds pain and grief. If you develop unhealthy drug use and drinking habits, you’ll find it nearly impossible to manage everything. In the worst case scenario, you will develop an addiction, which puts you at risk of overdose and death. Understandably, you may feel pressure to party in order to fit in. Try to practice healthy moderation if you do use substances. However, if you find yourself unable to quit, you’ve likely developed a substance addiction. Fortunately, treatment exists through Sound Recovery. We can help you overcome your drug addiction (like Adderall addiction) and alcohol addiction.

Where to Find Professional Mental Health Treatment

If you struggle with your mental health, Sound Recovery is the best place for you to receive care in Washington. Additionally, we offer substance use treatment. Many of our guests have co-occurring mental disorders and substance addiction. We treat their connected issues holistically. It can be hard to find a professional mental health rehab that values you as a person first, not a disorder. Sound Recovery is a person-centric treatment facility that offers flexible mental health care and an empathetic approach. Our team of licensed professional therapists will help you manage your symptoms through traditional and holistic therapies.

So, how does school affect mental health? Sadly, school and mental health challenges often go hand-in-hand. Yet, you don’t have to stay trapped in your pain. Please reach out to us today to learn how we help students.