Welcome back to my new favorite blog series: College Students on Mental Health. If you happened to miss the first one, this series focuses on giving college students of different backgrounds and majors the opportunity to provide their insight on the topic of mental health and how we can provide support and resources to young adults within the transition into higher education and, once they graduate, their careers. 

The first blog of this series focused on mental health from the perspective of a student who is a psychology major, spending most of her time in the classroom focusing on mental health and how the brain works. For this blog, I spoke to Mary, a senior studying Business Administration with a concentration in Finance. While Mary does not believe that her major specifically has changed her perspective on mental health, she says that attending college was the first time she truly felt she had to take care of her own mental health. She shares the struggles she faced during the transition into higher education, noting that

“It was clear to me that I couldn’t handle my thoughts on my own so I started going to therapy my freshman year. Ever since then I have only increased my attentiveness to my mental health.”

Mary also believes that universities being open and creating lines of discussion and conversation about mental health and suicide prevention could really help other students who are in need and do not know where to turn to. She says that mandatory mental health classes would be helpful, where students could be presented with resources regarding mental health, be taught healthy coping mechanisms, and be shown techniques on how to identify and live with mental illness. During our interview, she also emphasizes the significance of having an abundance of resources - there are currently limited resources for those struggling with their mental health at almost all universities across the nation. Using the resources provided by the university along with focusing on self-care could help many students navigate the tough transition into higher education and adulthood. 

For self-care, Mary likes to channel her energy into cleaning, reading, cooking, taking walks, spending time outside, skin-care, and solving puzzles. Highlighting the importance of attentiveness regarding her mental wellness, she explains that she began incorporating journaling, group therapy sessions, and more frequent therapy sessions into her self-care routine.

The changes we want to see in universities when it comes to mental health and suicide prevention resources starts by listening to the students and working to educate others on the importance of having these resources available to whoever might need them. Creating room for conversation and discussion on these topics can be hard, but in the post-pandemic times, it is imperative. It is my goal to push for the changes we need in the higher education system to to support students as they maneuver through some of the most demanding years of their lives.

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Project Passport is a proactive mental wellness company that aims to bring mental wellness retreats, workshops and other services to company teams. We also help individuals create joy in their lives every step of the way. To learn more about our company retreats and services, click here. Our travel retreats will resume in the future as the world reopens.