complete my research.Health Care

“The average age of onset for many mental health conditions is the typical college age range of 18 to 24 years old, said Courtney Knowles, executive director of The JED Foundation” (Tartakovsky). These mental health conditions are a result of the many stressors that students regularly face. A few of the main stressors are due to anxiety pertaining to academics, financial, and social struggles. A majority of these pressures are rooted in actual problems, but some of them are solely perceived by the individual.

The academic aspect contains some of the most apparent stressors dealt with throughout college. In order to be considered a full-time student, one must have a course load of at least twelve credits, about three to four classes. Most majors require about a hundred and twenty-five credits to graduate. This means that taking only twelve credits per semester would greatly lengthen the number of semesters spent in college. This is a great source of worry for some students.

The rising cost of higher education is another common stressor. Many college students are low on cash, this due to their young age and the fact that many are coming straight out of high school and into college without spending time in the work force. Of course even if they were financially stable college debt is almost completely unavoidable. In the U.S. during 2010-2011 the average tuition cost for public institutions was $13,297. “Between 2000–01 and 2010–11, prices for undergraduate tuition, room, and board at public institutions rose 42 percent…” (U.S. Department of Education). That cost means a lot of cash straight out of pocket or a pile of student loans to get through and obtain a degree.

Another stressor is the social anxiety and all around general anxiety that comes along with attending college. Social anxiety specifically is something to be addressed during college. With how integrated technology is into our daily lives it has become harder to establish and gain the fundamental social skills that employers are requiring. Social skills are extremely important because once out of school and into the workforce many students must interact face-to-face with clients and co-workers.

According to the data collected in a 2010 survey conducted by American College Health Association, 38% of male and 54% of female college students have felt overwhelming anxiety within the last year. Another striking statistic from the same survey states that, 30% of students have felt so depressed that it was difficult to function (ACHA). Most students will face some sort of mental health challenge before graduating. That challenge may be something temporary or even lifelong. But, what kinds of challenges are students facing? How is this affecting the people around me who are attending college? Is there a connection between attending college and students developing mental health conditions?

Literature Review

With the increasing number of students deciding to attend higher education, the stress to succeed is becoming even greater. This stress really gets to a good deal of students. For that reason alone there are numerous studies on mental health in college age individuals. Along with studies on the topic, many works have also been published on how to help with the numerous stresses of being a student.

A U.S. News article written by Brian Burnsed discusses many reasons why a student may become depressed at some point in their academic journey. As he discusses these reasons he focuses greatly on tips to help ease the stress. His 5 tips include: exercise, don’t be a hermit, use school counseling, take advantage of technology, and go to sleep (Burnsed). His tips are the same as many tips giving by most professionals in the counseling field. With certain actions, like the ones above, an individual can help reduce the stress and anxiety put unto their mind and body.

Methodology

For qualitative data sources and procedures my research refined down to a survey. I have developed and released a survey of seven questions that all relate to higher education and mental health. The survey contained multiple yes and no type questions. All questions also provide a space to further the response. This survey was available online through surveymonkey.com. It was accessible February 26th thru March 6th, 2014. Most if not all responses were collected from friends. I had twenty four participants in the survey.

The survey was my best research options because it provides me with multiple responses, some detailed and some left more simple. The survey provided me with multiple answers to the same question to allow me to observe the similarities and differences within the group. I also obtained averages and information which I have displayed statistically.

All research has been conducted and I have sorted through all of the information to form a more cohesive way to display my collected data. In terms of the survey I have laid out the responses to each in the form of individual charts.

Findings

Survey Results

Personal College experience