Mental Health and Your Degree, Do You Know Where to Go to Get Help?

Australia wide there is currently over one million students undergoing a university degree of some sort and according to a Headspace study, the vast majority of Australian students are stressed and depressed.

The study also indicated that 70% of students across Australia rated their mental health as poor or fair. When Western Sydney University students were told this statistic and asked why they believe this is, they said:

“Students may not be aware of the services available to them and feel uncomfortable reaching out. University can be super stressful and overwhelming.”

- Cassie Fitzpatrick- B. Medical Science majoring in biomedical science.

“University is tough. I can see why it would be so much pressure which would trigger mental health issues. I work full-time whilst doing my degree- life is just terrible.”

- Sophie Beveridge -B. Arts majoring Japanese / B. Business.

No matter your choice of study, Western Sydney University offers its students a vast range of ways to access counselling whether they’re on-campus or online.

Many students were unaware that ‘e-counselling’ was a service available to them through their university. E-counselling allows students to seek help from an expert in a safe and confidential manner via an anonymous platform.

When asked if Western Sydney University students are aware of the help available to them, many said something along the lines of “it’s not advertised enough and there is not much awareness of the services available to us.”

-Baylee Morgan- B. Arts majoring psychology.

Overall, student morale is on the decline as evident through a headspace study which surveyed thousands of students has revealed the following statistics:

Many students can agree that a university degree in itself is very hard, once you add mental health issues to the equation, it becomes nearly impossible. With mental illness comes poor concentration, lack of motivation, a struggle to meet deadlines the constant anxiety/panic attacks about upcoming or past assessments and exams and the fear of failing.

The exact reason as to why students develop mental health issues once commencing their degree cannot be pinpointed, however things such as deadlines, not prepared for how overwhelming university is, not feeling like you know what you’re doing and feeling overwhelmed due to a poor work and study balance can all contribute to decreased mental health.

“Prior to starting my degree, I had mild anxiety and depression. In my first year it was a lot worse and I often felt overwhelmed and unprepared. I was too shy to make connections, so it was a lonely and tough time.”

Caitlyn Odewahn B. Sport Exercise Science

What needs to be taken from this is that yes, universities are offering adequate support for their students however, it could be more broadly advertised across campuses that help is available to students.

If more students were aware of the help accessible to them, universities may see a decrease in mental health issues among their students.

If you or someone you know needs help, please reach out to any of the following services or click here to be connected to an e-counsellor.

Headspace:

-Call Lifeline: 13 11 14

-Talk to someone online here

-Find a ‘Headspace’ close to you here

Beyond Blue:

-Call: 1300 22 4636 available 24/7

-Chat to a specialist online here

-Email a specialist here – You will get a response within 24 hours.

-Join the Beyond Blue online forum here to anonymously chat with people going through similar things and get help from experts when they’re online.