Mental health worries disturb students

College is an exciting time for students. There’s the possibility of new friends, new opportunities and a new-found sense of self-discovery. But college can be stressful as well.

The assignments begin to pile up, and there never seems to be enough time to complete everything. College can take a toll on one’s mental health.

According to the Associations for University and College Counseling Center Directors survey, 95% of college counseling center directors surveyed said the number of students with significant psychological problems is a growing concern in their center or on campus.

This means there is a high number of students whose main worry somehow involves their campus life. This is assuming that the students are mainly focused on their academic life and successes.

This doesn’t even touch on a student’s personal life. Though many college students wear sleep deprivation with pride, according to a study done by Cengage Brain, college students average just over 6 hours of sleep.

With the serious problems associated with sleep deprivation clearly documented, the poor sleep patterns are not to be taken lightly and are likely associated with mental health problems in other domains. 

If the facts are not startling, listen to what the students had to say. I asked a group of students if they think college unhealthily affects mental health? The answer was a unanimous “Yes!”

Sophomore Destinee Bing said, “Too many assignments, and it seems like professors don’t care.”

“You know every freshman has broken down in college,’’ said freshman Tamara Scott.

The American Freshmen annual survey from 2012 found that 30% of college freshmen report feeling often overwhelmed, with the number of women reporting this at its highest point of 40.5%. 

If the demands of college are ever too much, the USC Aiken Counseling Center is open Monday through Fridays from 8:30 a.m.to 5 p.m. It is open year-round. They can be contacted at (803) 641-3609.