Emily Shepherd
Contributing Writer
eshepherd2@murraystate.edu
Active Minds and the National Society of Collegiate Scholars conducted a survey to promote mental health awareness in high-achieving college students.
The study found that suicide is the second leading cause of death among college students. Ninety-one percent of students surveyed felt overwhelmed from all the work they had to accomplish in the last year. Despite having a high GPA, two out of three students experienced a need for mental health services.
“Mental health is something everyone struggles with,” Mallory Unverfehrt, local chapter contact for NSCS, said. “Life can be stressful and finding support is vital.”
The survey also showed 46 percent of respondents believe that most people think less of a person who has received mental health treatment. More than 50 percent of students reported problems keeping them from getting help. In essence, they do not have the resources to deal with the issues on their own.
The main points of the study were for teachers to keep overachieving students on the radar and embed well-being into their curricula.
The participants in this study were first-and-second year college students with a GPA of 3.4 or above. To many of the hardworking students with this kind of lifestyle, free time is a luxury. The study surveyed 9,319 students.
“The study looked at perceptions of mental health and then created a series of recommendations to keep the [mental health] conversation going,” Steven Mandurano, marketing director of NSCS, said. “The study concluded that it was crucial for students to remember to practice self care and be proactive in seeking help.”
Simon Placr, junior organizational communication major, said he frequently finds himself buried in work.
“I have a constant battle with myself where I don’t give myself a break,” Placr said. “I find myself throwing myself into a specific project and devoting a lot of my time to that or completely giving up and realizing I have too much to do. I find myself being haunted by whatever else I could be doing even if I’m being productive.”
Mandurano said professors can help alleviate this stress by eliminating midnight deadlines because they promote unhealthy behavior for students. He also said professors should normalize the need for help.
Students often seek help from advisers and professors, but two-thirds of students in the survey weren’t comfortable speaking about their problems to teachers or advisers.
“To me, the idea that suicide is the second largest cause of death among college students- that is a lot to process,” Unverfehrt said. “I find that a lot of people struggle and many of us don’t realize it.”
Students can utilize on campus Counseling Services in Room C104 of the Oakley Applied Science Building.