So here’s some relatively uplifting news coming out of the US college front: According to a recent story in MinnPost, mental illness issues are up and binge drinking is down for University of Minnesota students. But here’s why this is all good news: it’s the actual reporting of assumed mental illness, like anxiety and depression, that’s on the rise. So while mental health problems themselves aren’t good, the acknowledgment of them is.
Per the 2015 College Student Health survey, which has been conducted by the University of Minnesota’s Boynton Health Services regularly since 1995, the number of students seeking help for a mental health diagnosis has gone up 33% since the last round of the survey in 2013. Take that news with the fact that the survey also revealed a decline in binge drinking among students and you have to ask: could it be that America’s young people are actually dealing with their sh*t instead of just doing keg stands to numb out all those pesky feelings?
Self-Help Finally Helping
I’d venture to say this decade has seen a serious influx in more open discussions of mental health. Thanks to the charge to reduce mental illness stigma from highly public figures like Lady Gaga, Demi Lovato and many others, the cultural zeitgeist seems to agree that there is nothing wrong with admitting you are feeling extremely depressed, palpably anxious or just “off” in some way, shape or form. There’s also the fact that the topic of mental illness seems to arise every time there is a mass shooting (which, of course, is depressingly often).
Among the students in this particular lot, the common issues were depression, anxiety and stress. More women complained of depression and more women admitted to taking medication too. Almost one-third of the group surveyed reported extreme stress levels.
University of Minnesota students are definitely taking advantage of the resources at their disposal. Beyond the mental health clinic on campus, where myriad therapeutic services are available and students have access to psychologists, psychiatrists and social workers, there is also a student-initiated program called deStress where trained students help other students in 45-minute counseling sessions. The primary topic: how to manage stress. Additionally, the university provides a virtual program called SilverCloud that gives students a way to assess their symptoms and make a plan of action for treatment. And wait there’s more. The school also has PAWS (Pet Away Worry and Stress), which brings a well-needed dose of animal therapy to campus.
Many props to the University of Minnesota; I only hope other schools are offering a multitude of options too. But I also need to say—and I don’t mean to take anything away from the pressures of being in college today—I only wish I just had the “stress” I thought I had in college now. Just wait until these kids start getting their student loan statements and are dealing with all the other responsibilities that adulthood requires. My point is this: since the stresses of life only grow as time passes, I think all this pro-activeness is awesome.
But Back To That Drinking News
While we know that students at University of Minnesota are also reportedly drinking less, before you go throwing them a parade, keep in mind that this doesn’t mean they aren’t toking their sorrow, as marijuana use has increased. Still, tobacco use is way down, the way it is for college students in general.
As someone who could have majored in binge drinking in college, I do wish I’d understood how much of a depressant alcohol is back then. I would consume copious amounts of liquor and beer, on top of my anti-depressant medication, and lament about how sad (and fat) I was. The meds and the Bud Light were just crossing each other out, and I didn’t understand that excessive drinking on a regular basis only exacerbates clinical depression. All of which is to say that if these students are already stressed, depressed and anxious, thank God binge drinking is declining.
Here’s an idea (colleges, you can thank me later): make a class called “How To Get Through Life Without Numbing Every Uncomfortable Feeling with a Substance or Something External” 101 a freshman class requirement.
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