Student Mental Health – Causes, Problems, Consequences, Statistics, Challenges, Topics

If you or someone you know is considering suicide due severe mental health problem, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255), available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. All calls are confidential, and anyone can use this service for free.

In student mental health problems, a college student may experience a wide range of mental health challenges, including depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. However, some other challenges include: Loneliness, eating disorders, substance misuse, and self-harm. 

Students can face many stressful moments & challenges that can impact their mental health in a very bad manner, such as:

• Academic pressure
• Balancing obligations in life
• Social pressures in life
• Global & societal concerns
• Homesickness due to living in flat or hostel
• Leaving home for study purpose or shifting to a town
• Finding new place to live
• Living with new people with different nature & characteristics
• Maintaining relationships with family & friends 

Some signs that a student may need mental health support during their tough time. This includes:

• Persistent sadness
• Anxiety or excessive worry about silly things
• disturbed sleep patterns
• Loss of interest in life
• Difficulty concentrating or making decisions
• Changes in appetite or weight loss rapidly
• Social withdrawal 
• Irritability or anger outbursts on anyone (can’t control emotions) 

This is a common problem faced by students of every age. Recent studies show a rise in mental health concerns among students which include:

Too much Stress:

School/College can be very stressful in terms of exams, deadlines, and social pressure. This stress can lead to other problems such as anger, becoming introverted, can’t think straight, eating disorders, and many other problems.

Depression & Anxiety:

The most common health issues which are faced by people of all ages. There are a lot of symptoms of depression, It affects your sleep cycle, things that you enjoy doing gets boring, lack of decision-making, little fear factors take over you, suicidal thoughts, love being alone, and most importantly it badly affects every relationship.

Resources for Depression

There are 5 organizations which are dedicated to providing resources and assistance to those living with depression:

• American College Health Association
• Anxiety & Depression Association of America
• National Institute of Mental Health
• The Jed Foundation
• ULifeline

Student Mental Health Statistics:

Last year 2023, over three-quarters of students (76%) experienced moderate to serious mental health issues. A total of 36% of students were diagnosed with anxiety; 28% had depression. And this is the actual rates of depression! Not only this student mental health problems are increasing on daily basis.

Resources for Anxiety

There are 5 organizations which are excellent resources for students with anxiety disorders:

• American Psychological Association
• Anxiety & Depression Association of America
• Anxiety Resource Center
• BeyondOCD.org
• Social Anxiety Association

Suicidal Ideation:

In the worst cases, students with mental health problems may consider suicide.

Student Suicide Statistics:

A recent study shows in schools, colleges, and universities in the United States, each year, approximately 24,000 college students attempt suicide while 1,100 students succeed in their attempt, thus making suicide the second-leading cause of death among U.S. college students.

Suicide Prevention Resources

There are 5 suicide prevention resources available online and at campus health centers. Here are some organizations that specialize in mental health problems and suicide prevention:

• Active Minds
• American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
• National Alliance on Mental Illness
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
• The Trevor Project

Symptoms of Substance Misuse

Many college students who use alcohol & drugs do not develop an addiction immediately. However, they can still feel the side-effects of withdrawal or prolonged use of these harmful substances.

Here are some of the most common symptoms of substance misuse by college students:

• Stutter speech, bloodshot eyes, or impaired coordination
• Fear, anxiety, or paranoia for no valid reason
• Prone to suspicious behaviors (e.g., frequently getting into fights or getting into trouble with the law)
• A sudden need for money or a financial crisis
• High tolerance for alcohol and/or drug use (in other words, the person may need to use more and more of a substance to obtain the major side effects)
• Weight loss or gain, and changes in personal grooming habits

Substance Misuse Resources

The following 5 resources can teach you more about the signs & causes of substance misuse, as well as how to get help for yourself or any loved ones you know:

• Alcoholics Anonymous
• Narcotics Anonymous
• National Institute on Drug Abuse
• Partnership to End Addiction
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

Early History of Student Mental Health

In the 2020-2021 school year, around 60% of students had at least one mental health issue, and almost 75% reported fatal or severe distress. Even before COVID-19, schools struggled to meet the increasing demand for mental health professionals, and traditional counselling centres couldn’t keep up because the percentage of college students with mental health cases was increasing rapidly.

Difficult Phase of Understanding:

The most difficult task is to understand and analyze which student is having mental health problems. Not many students open up about themselves. But later on, when their conditions becomes worst, it takes a lot of time to pull them out of that phase.

Michael Gerard Mason from the University of Virginia noted that despite tripling their counselling staff, the demand is still too high. More students are seeking help now because of self-awareness around mental health and more people accessing treatment to recover. Solution for mental health problems among students can be overcome if a student can face all the challenges without any fear.

Challenges faced by Students:

Students face many challenges, including:

• Coursework
• relationships
• lack of communication
• lack of confidence
• eating disorder
• lose weight
• forget things
• economic stress
• social injustice
• violence
• COVID-19-related losses

Eating Disorder Resources

If you know anyone who has an eating disorder, or if you want to understand more about eating disorders in general, these 5 resources are a good place to start with:

• Academy for Eating Disorders
• American College Health Association
• Eating Disorder Hope
• National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders
• National Eating Disorders Association

Trying new approaches to overcome Mental Health Issues:

To address this, schools, colleges, and universities are trying new approaches such as

• Group therapy
• peer counseling
• hiring a Psychiatrist

They’re also training faculty and staff to support mental health student cases and creating a broader culture of health & wellness. On this brilliant approach, Kevin Shollenberger from Johns Hopkins University  emphasized that supporting student well-being requires a holistic and university-wide effort.

Since student mental health problems are becoming a critical issue, highlighting the importance of addressing mental health topics like stigma, access to care, and holistic support strategies in educational institutions.

Value and Significance of Mental Health Topics:

The value of mental health has great importance and impact on daily life. But when it comes to its topics, there are many and with multiple variations. It has a strong appeal and demand in the academic journey. However, its academic demand is fulfilled depending upon the grade level in which the student is seeking help.

Authentic Resources To Seek Help:

There are tons of resources available regarding mental health but it’s better to seek fresh information for your essay, paper, or assignment. Due to massive saturation, legit information is quite difficult to find but with our expert essay writers who are here available 24/7 are always ready to craft fresh content in the field of any subject. And today with mental health topics we have crafted some unique and understandable topics which can help you take ideas and knowledge.

Before diving into the topics, keep in mind we have carefully gather data regarding mental health, and our key principles for finding these topics are informative, authoritative, and accurate. To help each student further we have list down the resources & references. 

• Brave enough to speak about the mental health!
• Reddit Community: ApplyingtoCollege (Student Experiences)
• Quora: How to start an essay on mental health

Other Resources to get help:

Many resources are available to help students tackle these mental health challenges. Here are some things to keep in mind:

• It’s Normal to Not Feel Okay: Every student experiences emotional ups and downs in life. If you’re struggling, reach out for help immediately because the more you wait the more things will get worse.
• Talk to Someone: The best remedy is to talk to a friend, family member, therapist, or school counselor.
• Self-Care Matters: Make time for activities you enjoy and love, eat healthy food on time, drink plenty of water, and get enough sleep. These habits can help you manage stress and improve your overall mental health. Increase your productivity by keeping yourself busy in healthy activities.

Each Mental Health Topic Resembles:

Each Mental Health topic holds a deep meaning whether its for students or adults. When it comes to student life, more than 99% students face such mental health problems ! Some face academic challenges and some face due to society. Each has a different impact but leads to one direction and that is depression, anxiety, and lack of confidence. 

What the reader should know about mental health?

When picking a specific mental health topic or starting in general it is essential to understand the essay, paper or assignment requirements. It is important to gather enough data or information to style or structure what is demanded according to the task given by the teacher or professor.

Once the data is understood and you feel like “you’re ready” brainstorm mental health topic ideas and develop a strong thesis statement. Since the statement will be the backbone of your mental essay health topic so be careful before you implement the writing process. Your final thesis statement should be simple and clear to the reader and must highlight the main agenda to justify your mental health topic.

Example Mental Health Statement:

If you’re writing about the basic key steps to avoid long heated arguments, it’s better to walk away! This mental health statement clearly defines how and why you should avoid the arguments, since it can save your energy and any kind of aftermath regrets. Once you have your mental health thesis statement you can create a brief outline for your essay, paper or assignment.

The key to support your topic is to make each and every body paragraph to hold some evidence which can later on justify your main agenda statement. Still, confused? There are already mentioned some resources for better understanding. Many mental health essay examples are given in the resources which can support your idea and structure to start with your mental health topic.

Research Process for Students:

Narrow down the ideas, statements, and requirements and assemble raw data then clarify yourself, is my topic clear enough? Is it promising and fulfilling the readability factor? If so, you’re in the right direction. There are many mental health examples online and you can take help from it same as references given in the “authentic resources to seek help” section.

Always remember your audience matters without them each mental health topic is worthless. So what you want your audience to see is the plain and determined value that you talk about in the first paragraph.

Always remember while taking notes for mental health topics whatever examples, ideas, and knowledge to seek, mention the author’s names to justify your evidence, as already talked about the value and evidence factors in the above folds of information.

What was the necessity of picking this topic?

As an author myself, it’s my duty to talk on such crucial topics because the information such topic holds are impactful and something that the reader can grasp and implement while going on his/her academic journey. There are many mental health essay examples, ideas, and information available on the internet but what I believe is to provide rich and fresh context.

Increase Mental health topic quality for the readers:

Once done with the mental health essay topic it’s better to check the quality factors as mentioned in the above sections. Read yourself before submitting to your teacher or professor and see what more can be done to improve its quality and readability factor. If you’re still facing issues check the basic principles that we talk about while doing our precious mental health essay topic research.

Types of Mental Health Topics:

There are two main types:

• Mental Health Research Topics
• Mental Health Essay Topics

Being an author, many Mental Health Research topics requires a proper research team to understand a problem that has an immense effect on life but select few to narrow down the major problems and how they’re important to know. Furthermore, even mental health research topics have types. These topics can be used by students for research purposes.

Characteristics of a Good Mental Health Research Topic:

• Relevancy:

Give an idea that is new and fresh, proper source where the information is picked and crafted for easy to understand.

• Cover topic from every side:

Discuss interesting facts. Tips, examples, talk about references.

• Easy to Understand:

Feasible for every grade level student to understand.

• Original Data:

The concept of the topic should be original, all the research material should be fresh data and with proper guidance to understand the root problem.

• Accessibility:

Accessible to every student to grasp the major understanding of the topic and clear his assignment requirements with the addition of resources.

There are almost 5 common factors behind college student’s mental health problems that needs to be addressed and need to consider to avoid major health-related issues.

For mental health essay ideas, I have listed down the important ones which are ‘must to know’ and can be used by students for mental health topic assignments. An A+ grade for sure.

Characteristics of a Good Mental Health Essay Topic:

• Basic Concept/Guide:

A basic understanding of the essay should be known. What requirements are asked by the teacher or professor?

• Research Data:

Fresh Data regarding the mental health topic should be researched and note down the important points which can be crafted for essay writing.

• Value Addition by References:

A maximum of 6-month or 1-year-old data as a resource or reference should be used in the essay topic to make the context richer and more informational.

Here’s the list of mental health essay topics that can be picked for essay, paper, or assignment completion.

For more information, if you’re currently looking for student mental health problem topics we have a team of professional essay writers who are available 24/7 and ready to meet your expectations & deadlines.