The college years can be a time of inspiration, growth, and opportunity. They can also be filled with stress, pressure, and anxiety. When you follow a simple mental health checklist for college students, you can maximize your ability to have a successful experience while minimizing your risk for serious problems.
Mental Health & College Students
Every year since 2000, the American College Health Association (ACHA) has surveyed students from colleges throughout the United States on topics related to physical, mental, and behavioral health.
The Fall 2022 edition of the ACHA’s National College Health Assessment revealed the following about mental health among college students:
- 72.4% of surveyed college students were experiencing moderate to severe psychological distress as scored on the Kessler 6 (K6) Non-Specific Psychological Distress Scale.
- 32.9% of college students have been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder.
- 25.5% of college students have been diagnosed with a depressive disorder.
- 21.6% of college students have been diagnosed with both anxiety and depression.
- 11% of surveyed college students said they had engaged in intentional acts of self-harm within the previous 12 months.
- Among transgender and gender non-conforming college students, the rate of past-year self-harm was 31.6%.
- 27.6% of students scored 7 or higher on the Suicide Behavior Questionnaire-Revised (SBQR), which indicates that they may be at risk of suicide.
- 2.5% of surveyed college students reported at least one suicide attempt in the previous 12 months.
- 34.4% of college students said they had received psychological or mental health services in the past year.
Mental Health Checklist for College Students
As the statistics in the previous section indicate, today’s students are dealing with an array of mental health challenges. Some of these difficulties are unavoidable, but you can minimize your risk for others. Most importantly, if you do begin to struggle, it is essential to get help as soon as possible.
This simple four-part mental health checklist for college students can help you maintain your psychological well-being:
- Familiarize yourself with the scope of on-campus mental health services that your college provides. Take the time to find out where these services are provided and how you can access them. Write down phone numbers, email addresses, and other essential contact information so you’ll know how to reach out if you need to.
- Educate yourself about the other support services that can help you maintain positive mental health. For example, tutoring, peer mediation, and career guidance can all be valuable resources for solving problems that, if not addressed, could become major sources of stress.
- Connect with other students. Isolation can be a breeding ground for mental health concerns. Clubs and classes can both be ideal opportunities to find others whose interests align with yours. Most schools also have recreation- or sport-based clubs, which offer the added benefit of helping you stay active.
- Protect your physical health. The quality of your diet, exercise, and sleep habits can have a profound impact on your psychological well-being. Eating a healthy, balanced diet, incorporating an appropriate amount of exercise into your schedule, and sleeping eight hours a night can do wonders for your mood, mindset, and attitude.
Benefits of College Students Having a Mental Health Checklist
Here are three benefits of having a mental health checklist for college students:
- The checklist forces you to identify sources of help before you need them. Then, if a crisis arises, you will know exactly how to get help.
- While you’re working through the checklist, you have the opportunity to perform a self-assessment. Do you have the information you need? Do you need to do a better job of connecting with other students? Have you fallen short of your goals regarding diet and exercise?
- If you suspect that your mental health is beginning to suffer, you can return to the checklist for a quick re-assessment. This can help you determine if the problem is something you can solve on your own, or if you need to get additional help.
Additional Tips for College Students Who Want to Improve Their Mental Health
Here are some other quick tips to help college students maintain or improve their mental health:
- Meditate
- Practice mindfulness
- Keep a journal
- Find a daily reason to be grateful
- Spend time outside
- Avoid alcohol and other drugs
- Volunteer
- Ask for help
When Should College Students Seek Mental Health Treatment?
Unfortunately, there’s no simple answer to the question of when to get mental health treatment. However, there are a few questions that can help you decide if it’s time to contact a professional:
- Have you experienced a significant change in appetite and sleep habits?
- Do you find it difficult or impossible to focus and concentrate?
- Do you consistently feel exhausted, even after having a good night’s sleep?
- Have you been engaging in self-harm or thinking about suicide?
- Are you finding it increasingly difficult to feel joy, pleasure, or even simple happiness?
- Have you been experiencing dramatic shifts in mood, attitude, and energy level?
- Have you begun to lose interest in topics or activities that used to be very important to you?
If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you may want to consider making an appointment with a mental healthcare provider.
Important note: If you believe that you or someone else is in imminent danger of suicide, please get help immediately. If you are in the United States, you can contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988 or visiting www.988lifeline.org.
Contact Our Mental Health Center in Los Angeles, California
Montare at the Valley is a respected provider of customized outpatient care for college students whose lives have been disrupted by anxiety, depression, and other mental health concerns. With the help of our skilled and compassionate treatment professionals, you can learn to manage your symptoms and build a foundation for a much healthier and more hopeful future.
To learn more or to schedule a free assessment, please visit our Contact Us page or call us today.
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