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I am a student in college who has been diagnosed with depression and anxiety.
I have not had the most stable college career. I’ve transferred schools three times, I took a leave of absence for my mental health and now, after six years, I will graduate. No one prepared me for how emotionally and mentally draining college would be.
The National Education Association recently reported that “the majority of college students (more than 60%) meet the criteria for at least one mental health problem — a nearly 50 percent increase since 2013, according to the Healthy Minds survey.”
With the increase of mental distress on college campuses, I believe there needs to be a better system in place for dealing with this. Too many college students suffering from mental illness fear that they will be penalized for skipping class because they don’t have a “real” excuse. If I told my teacher I woke up having a panic attack and had to miss class, her response wouldn’t just be an “OK, feel better.” It would lead to questions — which I really don’t want to answer. Whereas if there were policies in place that support students taking time off for mental health, teachers would know how to respond.
According to the 2022 College Student Mental Health Report from BestColleges, “81% of students we surveyed were aware their school had mental health services.” However, only 20% actually used them; 40% of students didn’t think what their school offered was enough, and 35% were uncomfortable asking for help.
Students said in the survey that scheduling mental health days, acknowledging mental health needs and offering wellness activities and life skills classes would help their mental health in college. Students want their schools to offer more support for them to deal with whatever they are going through.
I have struggled with my mental health from a young age. I have never felt as though schools or professors understood. I don’t think college is a place where you can be open about what you are going through because, in my experience in the classroom, few people talk about mental illness.
The fact that so many college students are struggling is well known. In a 2022 study by the American College Health Association, 77% of college students surveyed said they experienced some type of mental distress. The ACHA found that 35% of college students were diagnosed with anxiety and 27% with depression.
Many college students like me often need to take a day or two off from class because we are overwhelmed, but we can’t because that would negatively impact our grades.
My request is simple. Implement mental health days: a certain number of days per semester that students can use when they can’t make it to school, without having to justify their reasoning. It can be too hard for some students to open up and say they have a mental health problem. They need the option of taking a day off without having to explain or without having negative ramifications.
So, for any faculty reading this, please listen to your students when they say they need help. Because we all do.
Gabriela Rusconi is a senior at Central Connecticut State University who lives in Glastonbury, CT.
