October 5, 2014 - 21:50
I'm going to echo the sentiments of many others in this class that I am not surprised to find how high the reports are of hopelessness, exhaustion, anxiety, depression, and other related mental issues experienced by college students in the ACHA Health Assessment. As a current college student, I understand what it's like to fear the unknown and feel lost in life. Between choosing a major, sorting out finances, navigating personal relationships, and completing classwork among other things, college life can be beyond overwhelming and and there seems to be a permanent air of uneasiness during the year. As quoted by Kroger, "what should be present by the end of adolescence and the beginnings of early adulthood? Subjectively, there should be a sense of well-being: 'Its most obvious concomitants are a feeling of being at home in one's body, a sense of "knowing where one is going" and an inner assuredness of anticipated recognition from those who count' (Erikson 1968: 165)." It seems likely that some mental health issues experienced by college students in the final stages of adolescence would be lacking this sense of well-being: new environments and stressors cause college students to feel like strangers in their own bodies; prospects of classes, careers, love, etc. can produce incredible anxiety for students since every action seems to affect your future happiness; and recognition from "those who count" is a driving force behind individual's success, but is not often found. So, as previously stated, the sentiments expressed by the college students surveyed by the ACHA is predictable, and quite relatable.