We need to discuss college’s effect on students’ mental health

College takes a toll in some shape or form on every student. Whether it be sleep deprivation, thoughts and feelings of inferiority or not feeling like you’re on the right path with your major―these constant worries can cause mental damage to anyone.

According to National Data on Campus Suicide and Depression, one in every 12 U.S. college students makes a suicide plan.

No one truly knows what we are experiencing. Some of us are working multiple jobs and keeping up with extracurricular activities, all while being a full-time student. There are times when these factors can become overwhelming for students and everything is hitting us at once.

There’s the issue of students being unaware of the resources that their campus offers, in addition to a limitation of the resources with such a large student population. Students also struggle with the fear of putting all of their trust into a stranger. In addition to all of this, there are students who come from homes where mental illnesses such as depression aren’t "real."

Oftentimes, students won’t even realize their mental health is in danger because there’s too much chaos going on to find time for themselves and focus on self-care. And, when they come to the realization that something is actually wrong, then the question becomes, "What’s the next step?"

We spoke to Vice President of the Black Professional Health Association (BPHA), Brittany Opokwu, about the many students who don't realize, or don't want to realize that their mental health is in danger.

She explains, “A lot of students are scared to seek help because they feel as though they don’t have a problem and don’t want to be seen at places such as Tuttleman, probably because they don’t want others to judge them. There are a lot of resources on campus that students don’t know about, like the Wellness Resource Center, but there’s the issue of bringing more awareness about them. We need to do a better job of getting the word out.” Vice President of the Black Professional Health Association (BPHA), Brittany Opokwu explained.

Temple Organizations Supporting Mental Health

Temple has various organizations that have taken the initiative of creating welcoming spaces for support and continuing to fuel the conversation about mental health amongst students. Temple Student Government, S.M.O.O.T.H and Black Professional Health Association are a few organizations that have been immersed in the topic of mental health and its importance. And, they are organizations that help in representing the underrepresented of Temple's student body.

During this year's World Mental Health Day, members of the Temple Student Government made it known to Temple students that they would help to provide a space for acknowledging the importance of prioritizing mental health. TSG held a program titled “Healing Following Tragedy,” which allowed students to share their concerns and learn healthy strategies to help cope with events that can be traumatizing and upsetting. One of the main goals of TSG is to ensure inclusivity for the Temple community as a whole so that all students are welcomed regardless of personal backgrounds such as those struggling with mental health issues.

“TSG will continue the discussion about the effects that college has on students' mental health through active collaboration with various departments on campus. We intend to continuously work with the Wellness Resource Center and even work with Tuttleman Counseling to help address some of the concerns students have about resources that are already available," said Tyrell Mann-Barnes, President of Temple’s Student Government.

“We will continue elevating the voices of students in spaces that can implement change. We will continue to combat stigma surrounding mental health, while also improving resources as well.”

Mental Health and Minority Students

When it comes to minority students , while growing up it’s very uncommon for mental health to be discussed in households. Mental illnesses are often belittled and the stigma surrounding the topic is overwhelming. “You’ll get through it, you just need to toughen up.” Then, they come to college with this crippling ideology ingrained in their minds and it’s difficult for them to share what they’re experiencing.

A Huffington Post article by Rosalie Chan addresses the unsettling statistic that Asian-Americans are "three times less likely than whites to ask for mental help." Chan speaks with several Asian-Americans that have struggled with their mental health.

Temple senior Sarikka Raman, who is of Tamil descent, feels that mental health "is not discussed seriously" in South Asian communities.

Junior marketing major Marianna Torres says of the Latino community, "Mental health is taboo in our culture. Counselors aren't really encouraged and we're taught to suppress what we feel or pray it away. Tuttleman gave me an outlet. It gave me a voice I didn't think I had."

The possibility of becoming ostracized from their family by revealing they may be struggling with a mental illness is a common fear for minorities. But, the longer they take to speak up and seek guidance from a doctor or psychiatrist, their condition worsens and lessens their chance of a speedy recovery. This is why it's critical for there to be organizations that provide programs centered around minorities, who have a challenging time seeking help due to the toxicity and stigma surrounding their communities when it comes to mental illnesses.

BPHA held a program titled, “Black Mental Health Matters," which discussed the stigma surrounding mental health in the Black community. During the program they used the hashtag, #SilencetheShame.

“There was a consensus of people’s views on mental health in the black community. There was a notion that Black people aren’t supposed to be susceptible to these illnesses. A lot of Black men in the crowd mentioned that they would rather hold in their emotions or not show them at all and suck it up” Opokwu said.

S.M.O.O.T.H also had a program earlier in the month that discussed the mental health of Black men. Black men are taught to always be tough through adversity and grow up believing that showing emotion is a sign of weakness.

“Essentially what we wanted to do is start a conversation about something that isn't talked about in the community — The stigma surrounding Black men is that we are not supposed to show emotion –The students [during the discussion] were very outspoken about the topic and showed lots of enthusiasm in talking about the issue, which is the first step in finding a solution,” said Secretary of S.M.O.O.T.H, Darius Hockaday.

Hockaday hopes that his organizations holds more programs similar to this so that people can "voice their opinions and build a support system around each other."

Senior Genevieve Afrifa is a peer educator at the Wellness Resource Center and collaborated with S.M.O.O.T.H for the discussion being that the topic’s importance hit home for her.

“As a Black woman with a Black man for a father, a brother and in having some of my closest friends be Black men, I wanted to drive home the message that feeling sad, anxious or even depressed are not feelings that make you any less of a man. We also wanted to address the relationships that we have with one another and push the value in just being there for your friends and family, even if it’s just a simple text asking someone how they’re doing," she said.

These types of discussions are crucial in building students’ comfort and confidence to know they’re not alone and be advised to seek help. As well as, they help in spreading the word of what the campus has to offer them to get whatever it is that they need so that they can take better care of their minds and become even better versions of themselves.

“Seeking help actually shows that you’re strong by you realizing you have an issue that you can’t fix by yourself,” said Opokwu.

While the resources may be limited for the moment and the fight to be honest about one's mental health may sometimes seem as difficult as battling these problems, the Temple community is working towards a more accepting, resourceful environment for all.