Introduction
Mental health awareness among students remains a critical issue that can influence an individual’s future social and emotional well-being. Since universities play a vital role in personality development, it is crucial to investigate how this topic is addressed in educational settings. Therefore, the research aims to examine the problem’s recognition within the scientific community, identify its prevalence, and explore its possible implications for students’ academic achievement and health across diverse backgrounds.
To collect data, a search of the relevant literature in online scholarly databases, such as the National Library of Medicine and Cambridge University Press, as well as via Google Scholar, was conducted. The search parameters included the year of publication, relevance to an academic setting, and the type of source. Both primary and secondary sources were selected to investigate various aspects of the question under consideration.
Literature Review
The number of available literature revealing the issue of mental health among students exemplifies that the problem is well-recognized in the scientific community across the globe. According to the American Psychiatric Association (2023), nearly 60% of students reported “experiencing one or more mental health challenges in 2021,” and the percentage is much higher than it was in 2013 (n.d.). Though the occurrence of cases is on the rise, the chance that a person would receive help is still low, with only 50% accessing mental health services (APA, 2023). Consequently, there is a growing need to develop approaches to address low levels of mental health awareness.
A vast number of scientific works from numerous countries show that mental health issues disturb individuals regardless of their background. At the same time, a lack of awareness of them is a recurring problem across different academic settings. Among them is a study by Chu et al. (2022) that investigated the well-being of Japanese students and found that a specific mental health issue affects 14%-46% of undergraduates. It further connects the occurrence of mental problems to poor academic performance and an increased inclination to unhealthy lifestyle choices. As a result, it becomes evident that mental disorders can further create complex problems impacting various aspects of life.
A study from Germany also illustrates that a specific geographical location or cultural or ethnic peculiarities do not condition mental health problems. It was conducted by Guenthner et al. (2023), who compared the prevalence of mental health issues among students before and after the COVID-19 pandemic and revealed a significant increase in cases. Furthermore, similarly to many other researchers, the authors managed to reveal the lack of awareness about available mental health services in universities and low help-seeking behavior. This conclusion supports the need to implement relevant educational programs in universities.
The lack of adequate help is reported in other studies that investigated possible obstacles to relevant services. According to Lattie et al. (2019), students report barriers to treatment for several reasons. The first one is a lack of awareness about the seriousness of a problem when a person thinks that having symptoms typical of anxiety and depression is a regular part of a student’s life. The second is the existence of barriers to care, such as the inconvenience of suggested practices and disbelief in their usefulness (Lattie et al., 2019). The theme raised by the authors adds to existing knowledge of the topic, deepening understanding of the problem of mental health awareness.
To develop a deep understanding of the problem under consideration, it is essential to examine factors that could aggravate the situation. In this context, the study conducted by Shim et al. (2022) gives an essential insight into the social perception of mental illness, explaining that the topic is still much stigmatized. Namely, the authors revealed that only one-third of students who have a psychological disorder receive treatment. A part of the problem is found in existing prejudices against people who suffer from a mental health condition (Shim et. al, 2022). The study provides a basis for considering the promotion of an adequate understanding of psychological problems as an essential step in the academic setting.
Although the majority of the reviewed works report insufficient numbers and poor quality of mental health services available to students, there is a positive shift in schools recognizing the issue. As reported by the National Center for Educational Statistics, there is a rise in concerns about students’ mental health, with nearly 96 percent of schools admitting to providing corresponding services to their students. (National Center for Education Statistics, 2022) Many of them still recognize the need for professional staff to expand programs to meet the diverse social, emotional, and mental needs. These findings demonstrate the need for further discussion of the topic.
Conclusion
To conclude, mental health awareness is a topic of significant attention in the scientific literature. All sources that were selected for the review agree on the fact that there is a recent increase in the prevalence of psychological problems among students. Yet not all students can receive adequate help and face barriers such as a lack of relevant services and an inability to recognize they have a problem. Importantly, research shows that the given problem is common across countries and people with diverse backgrounds. Therefore, there is an urgent demand for open discussions of the issue and the creation of corresponding services.
Annotated Bibliography
American Psychiatric Association. (2023) Fostering College Student Mental Health and Resilience.
The article gives an insight into the recent trends in mental health among university students by providing statistical data regarding the prevalence of mental challenges and explaining their origin. It also gives an account of recommendations for increasing the help-seeking behavior among the affected individuals. The source reinforces the value of the given research by proving the importance of the topic and stressing the need for effective interventions.
Chu, T., Liu, X., Takayanagi, S., Matsushita, T., & Kishimoto, H. (2022). Association between mental health and academic performance among university undergraduates: The interacting role of lifestyle behaviors. International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research, 32(1).
The article describes the details of the study that was conducted with the aim of tracing the connection between mental health problems among students and academic achievements. Its findings show that mental health status together with engagement in healthy behaviors is a predictive factor of educational success. The results of the study are useful for explaining the complex connection between mental issues and poor performance and can be further used to form a more profound understanding of the topic.
National Center for Education Statistics. (2022) Roughly Half of Public Schools Report That They Can Effectively Provide Mental Health Services to All Students in Need.
The resource continues the discussion of the mental health services available for students and offers recent statistics that show an increase in the number of individuals searching for help. The authors highlight that the percentage of schools that understand their role in promoting mental health is rather high with the most common intervention being individual counseling. Simultaneously, the limited access to other professional services grounds the need for designing more complex approaches to promoting a healthy environment in educational establishments.
Guenthner, L., Baldofski, S., Kohls, E., Schuhr, J., Brock, T., & Rummel-Kluge, C. (2023). Differences in help-seeking behavior among university students during the COVID-19 pandemic depending on mental health status: Results from a cross-sectional survey. Behavioral Sciences, 13(11), 885.
The authors of the research focus on the investigation of the existing gap between the prevalence of mental health issues and help-seeking among students from Germany. It is reported that although mental disorders and suicidal ideation affect a noticeable percentage of students, many are unaware of the existing options to improve their condition or show distrust towards them. The article contributes to the research by exemplifying that mental health issues among students are a universal problem that calls for a thorough investigation of its numerous implications.
Lattie, E. G., Lipson, S. K., & Eisenberg, D. (2019). Technology and college student mental health: Challenges and opportunities. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 10.
The aim of the article is to delimit the opportunities and challenges for mental health improvement in relation to personal computing technologies. The authors investigate both the possibility of adverse effects and positive outcomes of computers on one’s health and recognize that this area of research must be further examined. The findings presented in the article add to the existing knowledge regarding the variety of common mental health problems among students and the numerous barriers to their management..
Shim, Y. R., Eaker, R., & Park, J. (2022). Mental Health Education, awareness and stigma regarding mental illness among college students. Journal of Mental Health & Clinical Psychology, 6(2), 6–15.
The given article summarizes the quantitative study that revealed the effectiveness of a psychological course in decreasing stigma about mental health and improving awareness among university students. It makes an important contribution to the general research because it shows that the youth has many negative images of mental illness that develop as a result of the lack of knowledge. However, the implementation of the relevant educational programs is effective in reducing prejudices, increasing awareness, and making people more prone to search for treatment.