Brain chemistry, exams, and relationship struggles all have one thing in common: they factor into the mental health of college students.

Twenty-five percent of people aged 18 to 24 have a diagnosable mental illness, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. In a college-age population, anxiety and depression are the most common. While in any given year, almost 20 percent of adults will experience diagnosable anxiety, said Erin Carroll with WSU Health and Wellness Services.

“We know that 18-24 year olds are more likely to experience a wide range of mental health challenges — adjusting to an entirely new life as a college student, romantic difficulties, career indecision, as well as the more serious concerns, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression and anxiety,” Dean of Students Melynda Huskey said in an email.

However, these concerns are not limited to the college population, only 17 percent of U.S. adults are in a state of optimum mental health, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The World Health Organization defines mental health as a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community.

However, Cassandra Nichols, the director of Counseling Services at WSU, said there is a middle ground between being mentally healthy and unhealthy.

“The good news is, if there are seven days in a week and there are two days where you’ve not contributed (to society) then you probably have the other five days,” Nichols said. “So I think it probably operates on a continuum rather than it being binary.”  

College age, Nichols said, is when certain mental health issues begin for many people.  

“Things like bipolar disorder often present for the first time during late adolescence and early adulthood,” Nichols said.

In addition to age, college is full of environmental factors that often bring out mental illness. College is a transitional time, and common college stresses like exams, homework, social life, poor sleeping habits and eating patterns can make a mental illness worse, said Dr. Bruce Wright, executive director of WSU Health and Wellness Services.

 “There are a lot of really fairly unique developmental issues,” Wright said.  “It’s a time when people are starting to find themselves as adults. They are more and more breaking away, gaining autonomy from their families, gaining identities.”

A shift in academics, increased demand in balancing an individual’s life, gaining autonomy, and forming identities are some major stress factors students face while transitioning into college, Wright said. When college ends, students must shift again, to life outside university, which brings with it a different set of stressors, Wright said.

“All the pressures get magnified in this context,” Wright said.

Nichols added that some students who are struggling with this transition turn to drinking and drugs as a form of self-medication, a tactic that can often have a negative impact on mental health.

Erin Carroll, with WSU Health and Wellness Services, emphasized these stresses do not necessarily cause mental health ailments, but they can make them worse or bring them out.

Where it comes from

Brain chemistry is one of the main causes of mental illness, according to the Mayo Clinic, along with inherited traits and environmental exposure before birth. Wright said recent research suggests depression occurs when people don’t produce enough ‘growth factors.’

“It’s like plant food for the brain,” Wright said. “You’ve all seen these brain cells and they have all these branches, and these branches that connect to other branches, and these synapses are like little broccolis.”

Wright said growth factors are like food for the broccolis or synapses, and a lack of food can lead to mood disorders like depression.

“These key areas of the brain that regulate emotion and mood, these synapses deteriorate,” Wright said. “It’s sort of like you didn’t water your plant.”

Conversely, whereas depression is the result of deterioration, anxiety is caused by hyperactivity, specifically in the part of the brain called the amygdala, said psychiatrist David Avery. The amygdala, according to Health Line, is a part of the brain that assists in determining the body’s response to fear and pleasure.

Although anxiety and depression look different chemically, Avery said they aren’t mutually exclusive.

“There’s a huge overlap between anxiety and depression,” Avery said. “A lot of people with anxiety also have depression.”

Getting help

The same social factors that can inflame many mental health issues have other consequences as well. Carroll said the social stigma around mental illness is enough to stop many students from speaking with a counselor about what they are going through.

Carroll said much of the stigma around mental health comes from a fear of the unknown, despite its prevalence in modern society.

“I’ve yet to meet someone who doesn’t know someone with a mental illness,” Carroll said.

Wright described mental health issues as ‘ubiquitous’ and said the stigma of approaching it is misunderstood by society.

“You’re running into people with mental health issues day in and day out, hour in and hour out,” Wright said.

These misconceptions can come down to a lack of awareness. Carroll said her department attempts to combat this with a program called Mental Health First Aid. This 8-hour class is designed to educate students and faculty on what mental health really looks like, and how to encourage those who need help to seek it out.

Nichols said the first step to upholding the WHO’s definition of mental health, is investing time in yourself.

“Taking care of yourself is one form of mental health that allows us to give to others,” Nichols said.

She also emphasized the importance of being unashamed of talking to someone. It’s okay to seek help, even if the ailments are mental and not physical, she said.

WSU offers several resources to help students through mental health concerns.

“People make the misassumption that mental health is not a health issue, and it is a health issue,” Nichols said.

She said hard work and strong will cannot fix everything.

“Part of the model at Washington State is to keep in mind our community as a whole,” Jeff Nepute, psychology resident and outreach coordinator for Counseling and Testing Services said. “We do our best to do work with a wide range of folks knowing there aren’t many other options.”

Most of the university mental health services are provided by Health and Wellness and Counseling and Testing Services. Health and Wellness focuses on the medical side of mental health, providing psychiatric care, while Counseling and Testing provides a variety of resources, such as support groups and education.

“The heart of what we have available is individual and group therapy,” Nepute said.

Nepute said there are many specialized types of group therapy, including anxiety, depression, and couples therapy.

Cassandra Nichols, psychologist and director of Counseling and Testing Services, said the center also has a 24-hour crisis hotline, as well as walk-in hours every day for those seeking help.

“When people come to see a counselor for the first time, they don’t need to make an appointment, they don’t need to call first, they just need to show up,” Nichols said. “If somebody comes in and is in an absolute crisis and it’s not walk-in hours, we will still see that individual.”

Nichols said WSU is fortunate in how much availability they are able to provide students.

“Most university counseling centers our size have session limits, that students can only be seen so many times — it could be 10 times a year, or six times in their whole academic career,” Nichols said. “We don’t any have session limits, we’ll see people for as long as they need to be seen.”

Students who seek counseling services also do not have to worry about the, often steep, cost of counseling sessions— counseling services are included in regular student fees.

For students who are interested in maintaining or improving their mental health, Nichols said there are a variety of programs and workshops on topics such as health relationships and time management available on campus throughout the year.

“Whatever the level and nature of the mental health concern, we want students to be able to pursue their educations, and go on to graduate and succeed in career and family life,” Huskey said. “Mental health care, like other medical care, is an important element in helping students succeed.

BREAKOUT BOX:

Walk-in hours for Counseling and Testing Services are from 1-3:30 p.m. on Mondays, and 10- 11:30 a.m. and 1-3:30 p.m. Tuesday thru Friday. The after-hours, holidays, and weekends crisis line is (509) 335-2159.