Evolution Summer Edition | Page 8

PAGE 8 Cheyenne Asato Co-Editor in Chief Going to college is a significant change in a student’s life; we move—sometimes across country—we leave everything we have known— our family, our friends, our home—and we start somewhere completely new and relatively unknown. This advancement mobilizes many to thrive and succeed, often bringing out a different and improved side of students. But for a few—around 10 percent—college brings crippling fear, anxiety, and stress much above the expected. According to UCLA’s Cooperative Institutional Research Program’s yearly American Freshmen Survey, in 2014 9.5 % of the 153,000 full-time freshmen college students surveyed disclosed that they “frequently felt depressed.” The survey also revealed that incoming college students reported the lowest self-rated emotional health in the past 49 years the survey has been conducted. This means that SUMMER 2015 Feature The Freshmen 10: College F modern freshmen are facing challenges so burdensome and alien compared to students in the past, that their mental health is deteriorating. Kara McCann, the director of special services at OCSA, is a licensed professional clinical council and family therapist. She says a frequent factor in mental health is stress. “Elevation in stress could potentially make conditions worse or it could make it more difficult for [students] to cope because [they’re] removed from what was previously [their] support system,” said McCann. College can act as a catalyst for mental disorders, and for some students this sudden change of scenery and amount of emotional support leads to isolation. This can worsen pre-existing conditions. McCann says it is common for pre-existing mental health issues to be exacerbated in college. On the other hand, many mental illnesses don’t appear or have obvious symp- Graph provided by: Cooperative Institutional Re Institute A decrease in physical socializing is parelled by a of tangible companionship could be a possible ex evaluated mental condition. The increase in time sp students are following the new wave of relationshi social setting. There has also been a falling trend wh party less than an hour a week increasin toms until collegeage (late teens to early 20s), leaving those students surprised and unprepared. McCann emphasizes the importance of “psycho-education,” where students are educated on how to identify the signs of common mental illnesses, and how to interact and communicate with people who might be suffering the effects of a mental condition. This education would provide much needed insight and empathy for college students who could be more prepared to spot other students’ needs. She acknowledges a “significant” change in a person’s behavior, character, or actions as