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Ella Brownstein

Professor Stalbird

English 1201

19 March 2019

Colleges Need To Take a Stand On Mental Health Problems

“The National Union of Students survey claims that one in five students have

experienced any kind of mental health problems during their studies,” states Aisha Kerrigan in

“Coping With Depression at a University.” Most college students experience the feelings of

stress and sadness from time to time, but not all students know if what they are feeling is actually

a mental health problem. Two very specific and common mental health problems are anxiety and

depression. For many generations, mental health problems have been seen as a weakness in a

person. Most people do not know a lot about mental health. For most students, the idea of going

to college seems like a fun time to finally be on their own and fulfilling all of their wildest

dreams. A young man by the name Jake Heilbrunn discusses his experience going to college in

“Psychology Today” where Susan Heitler published his story in her article, “The Disturbing

Truth About Anxiety and Depression in College.” Heilbrunn went into college at a young age

and had hoped it would be an amazing time where he would expand his social network. When in

reality he had experience some physical disorders and mental disorders being there. Of these

disorders, two were anxiety and depression. An inspiring quote that made everything become

clear to him was, “If you fuel your journey on the opinions of others, you are going to run out of

gas.” That quote was like a reality check to him and Heilbrunn said, “Listening to my inner

voice. I made a decision. I followed my heart.” He decided to not let his anxiety and depression
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control him and he began his journey to recovery. Colleges should provide counseling and

therapy to those who are ready to overcome their mental illnesses and need help. All colleges

should require incoming freshman to take a mental health awareness course because more and

more people are struggling with anxiety and depression and are unaware of it. With that being

said, if more people understand what mental health problems are then they will be more likely to

prevent it for themselves or other or be able to overcome these health problems and find the

resources they need to get better.

What exactly is mental health awareness? According to the National Alliance on Mental

Health, “A mental illness is a condition that affects a person's thinking, feeling or mood. Such

conditions may affect someone's ability to relate to others and function each day. Each person

will have different experiences, even people with the same diagnosis.” In college students may

not understand that these feelings they are having are actually a mental illness and they may feel

all alone. When students transition to being on their own for the first time it might seem scary

and stressful. Some people do not want to reach out for help if they are experiencing any of these

emotions because they do not want to be looked at as weak or they simply are just too scared too.

If more students truly understood what mental health problems were and how they can affect a

person then less students would suffer from these illnesses. Being made aware of mental health

can do a lot of things for a student. The first thing it can do is help a student understand if what

they are feeling is just a normal amount of stress or if they are experiencing anxiety or

depression because they are unable to function. Another thing taking a class that informs a

student on mental health allows them to find ways to prevent themselves from having one of

these illnesses. If a student is aware of some of the causes that can give someone a mental health
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problem then they will be less likely to partake in those causes. Also, students can be made

aware of some of the different resources that are out there to help them if they are struggling

when a mental illness. This class could also make people more open minded. Some students may

feel embarrassed or judged because they have a mental illness and that is why they do not want

to come forward and get help. If everyone is required to take this class then no one should feel

discouraged to get help. All in all there are many benefits to having all colleges require a class on

mental health awareness for all freshman.

Joel Brown, a writer at BU Today, informs the readers of his article that anxiety and

depression “are treatable with therapy, lifestyle changes, and medication when indicated- and

sometimes a combination of all three.” With that being said, Brown also claims later in the

article “Anxiety and Depression” that “many students are reluctant to admit they have a problem

and seek help.” People may not understand why it could be hard for someone to admit their

mental health problem and get help but with a class teaching that teaches students everything

about mental health, more people would learn to understand. The class would allow students to

learn how serious a mental illness is and how it truly affects the everyday life of a student. A lot

of students who struggle with anxiety and depression compare themselves to others and do no

allow themselves to realize what is best for them. One student quoted in BU Today, Victoria Pae,

says she would tell herself, “It’s all in my head. Get over it.” Pae would see others excelling and

feel like she was unable to do the same because she didn’t want to fail. She knew she was

struggling with something but was not aware of what exactly it was. It was not until her

sophomore year when she reached out for help. By having a college class on mental health

awareness freshman year she would have been able to understand what her feelings were and
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most likely would have reached out for help a lot earlier. The main purpose Joel Brown writes

his article published in BU Today is to inform students that every student feels stressed from

time to time but as soon as those moods begin to interfere with the students’ ability to function at

school, he/she should reach out for help.

The causes of anxiety and depression in college students can be a variety of different

things. The one thing that colleges cannot control or help is students’ genetics. Some students are

more prone to getting a mental illness due to their family background. With that being said,

having students learn about mental health is still beneficial to those people. There is no negative

side to making a required mental health awareness course. The worst that could happen is that

people do not take it seriously, but if taught well and in a welcoming atmosphere that is highly

unlikely to occur. According to the National Alliance on Mental Health, “A mental health

condition isn’t the result of one event… Genetics, environment and lifestyle influences whether a

person develops a mental health condition.” Sometimes it can be hard to pinpoint what exactly

brought on a person's mental health condition. Something such as a stressful homelife could

bring upon a mental health problem for someone. For college students it could be the stress of a

certain class or the pressure of being on their own for the first time. There are so many different

ways a student could develop a mental health condition, it truly just depends on the person and

what they are going through and feeling.

To speak specifically about anxiety and depression in college students, it is important to

understand what exactly these two mental health conditions are and how they can be related to

one another. Typically, these two conditions get put together as if they are one, but there are

differences in depression and anxiety. The Anxiety and Depression Association of America
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explains in the article “Understanding the Facts of Anxiety Disorders and Depression is the First

Step” what anxiety is. Tanja Jovanovic, a writer for Anxiety.org who has her Ph.D, says “All

anxiety-related disorders feature worry, nervousness, or fear that is ongoing, excessive and has

negative effects on a person’s ability to function.” What Jovanovic stated is exactly what people

with anxiety disorders feel. To extend on her statement, anxiety is a normal thing to experience

time to time but once those feelings of worry, nervousness, or fear do not go aways and distract a

person from being able to live their life like they normally would, then they need to reach out for

help. Next, by definition, depression is “a condition in which a person feels discouraged, sad,

hopeless, unmotivated, or disinterested in life in general for more than two weeks and when the

feelings interfere with daily activities.” The Anxiety and Depression Association of America

state, “Depressed teenagers tend to be irritable, sulky, and get into trouble in school. They also

frequently have comorbid anxiety, eating disorders, or substance abuse.” This can be when

teenagers are entering college. Students who are depressed and act out, may resort to substance

abuse or even harming themselves. If colleges provided a mandatory class on mental health and

tried to prevent students from doing these things and gave students the resources they need to

improve their mental health then more and more students would be healthy and successful for

themselves. When the Anxiety and Depression Association of America said “They also

frequently have comorbid anxiety…” that is why people put anxiety and depression under

similar categories when it comes to mental health disorders. Students who become depressed are

more likely to get an anxiety disorder as well.

One thing that this mental health awareness class could do is give all students a free

screening to determine whether they are struggling with depression or anxiety. What a screening
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does is ask the person multiple questions that are very personal and about their feelings and by

the end of the screening the person will have a better understanding and know if they have a

mental health condition. These screenings would be completely private and students would be

able to seek the help they needed based off of their results. One reason that this is beneficial is

that a lot of students who have anxiety or depression either will not admit it and seek the help

they need or they do not know what is wrong with them and why they feel the way they do and

this screening would help them make the best decision. At Boston University there was a nation

screen day and Joel Brown, a writer for BU Today, says that “445 people came for checkups…

nineteen percent were referred to Behavioral medicine… 6 students received urgent care… one

person was hospitalized.” Only 445 people went to the screening because at Boston University it

was optional so not everyone did a screening. If colleges made it required for the mental health

awareness class then so many more students would get the help they need and hopefully not get

to the point of needing to be hospitalized.

Some prevention techniques for mental health conditions include: relaxation techniques,

mindfulness, meditation, yoga, exercise, healthy diet, rest, and awareness. The absolute most

important prevention of mental health conditions is awareness. This is why it is so important for

colleges to have a required class on mental health awareness. Once students become aware of the

things that trigger their feelings, they will be able to reduce those triggers and focus on what

makes them excel in life. Joshua Dredze, a published writer for Eric, states in the article,

“Mindfulness: Facet Relationships with Anxiety and Depression In College Students” that “Over

the last two to three decades, mindfulness has emerged as a widely accepted and used therapy for

a range of disorders including depression and anxiety.” What mindfulness is where your mind is
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fully in attendance to what is happening or what you are doing. This is a technique used to

prevent anxiety and depression because it allows a person to live in the moment and not express

feelings of fear, nervousness, worry, sadness, discouragement and all of the other things go along

with anxiety and depression. Meditation and yoga are also practices that allow people to be in the

moment and not feel all sorts of emotions relating to a mental health condition. If a person were

to regularly practice mindfulness or meditation they would be less likely to get caught up in their

emotions that would make them fall into a mental health disorder. Exercise, a healthy diet and

rest are all ways for people to feel good about themselves and try to live happy. When people are

staying on top of their health they are less likely to get a mental health disorder because they are

focussed on keep up with good health. All in all, using these techniques and teaching these

techniques in a class for college students will help college student try to prevent themselves from

developing a mental health disorder.

One thing that students may feel like when they have a mental health disorder is that they

do not have a purpose in life anymore. “Suicide is the second leading cause of death among

college students,” according to statistics documented by Active Minds. More statistics find that

1,100 suicides occur at colleges every year. Students could have many different things going on

that may make them have suicidal thoughts and one is their mental health condition. If colleges

require a class on mental health awareness then students who are having these feelings and

thoughts about their lives might be more likely to speak up and express their feelings to others.

This class could lead to saving so many lives just by making students aware of what mental

health conditions are and ways to prevent or cope with a mental health condition if you or a

loved one are experiencing an illness. Suicide is never an answer for anything, every single
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human being has a purpose and no one should feel as if they need to take that purpose away from

themselves. Colleges should always make a suicide hotline number available and posted in many

places. Colleges should always have resources that students need to get better. Students should

not feel scared to ask for help at their school, colleges should always be helpful and welcoming

and by having a class that allows all students to feel welcomed will be highly beneficial to

everyone.

A very important reason as to why I chose the topic of anxiety and depression in college

students is because of my brother, Joseph Brownstein. My brother is a year older than I am so he

is a freshman in college. He has always been a strong person mentally and he is always there for

me when I need him. My brother is my best friend and when he went off to college something

about him had changed. Before going into college Joseph had the mindset that it was going to an

alright experience. He had planned on playing football for his university and was not quite sure

of what he would student but he knew he was interested in the medical field. Joseph was not

excited about football, he was mainly doing it to make our mother happy. I visited my brother a

couple months into his freshman year and he was very different. He was constantly negative,

always said he hated being there, he stopped caring about the choices that he made, and he said

that he never wanted to leave his dorm room. My brother was struggling with depression. One

thing that is different about my brother and a lot of other college students is that he was able to

admit that he was depressed. When I recently did an interview with Joseph I asked him what he

was feeling when he said he was depressed and he said, “I was constantly finding myself

avoiding everyone, I never felt motivated for anything, I stopping eating healthy, I began

sleeping most of my days away and I never felt happiness from anything.” Joseph explained his
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feelings as everything being dark and he blamed it on the fact that he did not enjoy football, he

did not enjoy his school, and he felt like he was only living for everyone else and not himself. I

then went on to ask Joseph what changed and made you get better and he said, “As soon I began

living for myself it was like I was a whole new person. I quit football because I did not enjoy it. I

am going to transfer schools so that I am closer to my family and go somewhere I want to go. I

began to exercise and eat right and now I feel so much better and can say that I am coping with

my depression in a good way and am finally happy with my life.” Hearing my brother say those

words made me feel so much better and I am so happy he is in a better point of his life. Joseph

always tells me how if he would have been more informed on mental health in his life he may

have been able to prevent his depression or would have been able to speak up even sooner to get

help. Overall, my brother has been able to overcome his depression and his knowledge of mental

health today has made him a better person and stronger than ever.

Going back to the beginning about Jake Heilbrunn, the college student who thought

college was going to so amazing and he ended up developing a mental health condition, he might

have been able to prevent or change his role earlier than his sophomore year is a class was

required on mental health.If Heilbrunn had more information on mental health and was able to

learn about preventions before he got anxiety and depression, he may have been able to save

himself from all of those feelings. That goes for Joseph Brownstein as well. If college students

were informed on mental health and more resources were available for them then hopefully less

students would struggle with mental health conditions. One big thing that could potentially be

affected as well if these classes were made required is that less students will be likely to drop

out. The drop out rates could decrease by simply informing students on mental health. Some
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students struggle so much with a mental health condition and are so unable to function that they

have to drop out. If universities could prevent or just help students with mental health conditions

then not only will suicide rates decrease but so could drop out rates. All in all, numerous

amounts of students would benefit from a mental health awareness class.

To wrap it all up, mental health problems should be made aware to all college students.

Most importantly, students should feel welcomed and comfortable at their school to be able to

speak up if they need help. All colleges should require freshmen students to take a class on

mental health awareness in order to inform students of ways to prevent and cope with mental

health conditions. No student should feel as if they do not have a purpose in the world and no

student should feel like they cannot leave their dorm because of whatever it is they are going

through. A class like this could potentially save people's’ lives and allow for people to help

others who are struggling with any kind of mental health illness. Colleges need to come together

and make this class be required for their students if there is going to be any change made for

their university it should be a mental health awareness class. This class can only be beneficial

and can help everyone.

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Source: Fig.1. Felicia Mello. ​A Push For Mental Health Care at Colleges.​ April 25, 2018.

Depression and Anxiety Really ‘Eat Up our Kids.’ Felicia Mello. This image captures the

feelings that college students experience while trying to do their overloads of work. These

students could be experiencing depression or anxiety and not know how to cope with it and get

over it. By adding a mental health awareness class in college, students would be able to

overcome these things and be more likely to succeed.

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Works Cited

ADAA “Depression.” ​Anxiety and Depression Association of America, ADAA​,

adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/depression.

Brown, Joel. “Anxiety: The Most Common Mental Health Diagnosis in College Students | BU

Today | Boston University.” ​Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) | Human Resources,​

BU Research, 02 October 2016.

Brownstein, Joseph. Personal Interview. 28 February 2019.

Dredze, Joshua Menachem. “Mindfulness: Facet Relationships with Anxiety and Depression in

College Students.” ​ProQuest LLC,​ ProQuest LLC, ​Eric,​ Sinclair Library, 1 Jan. 2017.

Heitler, Susan “The Disturbing Truth About Anxiety and Depression in College.” ​Psychology

Today​, Sussex Publishers, 20 March 2016.

Jovanovic, Tanja, et al. “Anxiety - What Is Anxiety & How To Treat It.” ​Anxiety.org​, 15 Nov.

2018, www.anxiety.org/what-is-anxiety#prevention-and-coping-with-anxiety.

Kerrigan, Alisha “Coping With Depression At University | Careers Blog | Inspiring Interns.”

Careers Blog | Internship News | Inspiring Interns​, 21 June 2018.

National Alliance on Mental Illness “My Parents' Support Shaped My Recovery.” ​NAMI ​2018
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