Stigma Among College Students

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What is going on, on campuses across our country? Recent surveys suggest that mental health among college students is at an all-time low, with depression and anxiety identified as the two most rapidly increasing problems (Hehmeyer). In 2012, the Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors found that 96% of counseling directors across the nation felt that the number of students with significant psychological problems was a growing concern for their institution. In a 2010 survey of students by the American College Health Association, 46% of students reported feeling that things were hopeless, 31% reported feeling so depressed that it was difficult to function, and over half reported feeling overwhelming anxiety. In the …show more content…
One of them is stigma, the negative connotation surrounding mental illness. Stigma has a significantly negative impact on the lives of those students as it prevents them from getting the adequate help they need. In a survey conducted at an orientation program at the University of Pennsylvania, students responded that embarrassment, judgment, and failure were the primary concerns they had in regards to avoiding counseling (Scott). This illustrates students’ lack of willingness to pursue professional help due to fear of being judged for it, which can ultimately result in suicide attempts due to a prolonged illness left …show more content…
In order for a change to be enacted, a wellness-endorsing and morally-supportive environment bust be cultivated by everyone in the community. When people ignorantly judge those with afflicted with psychological problems, they are keeping the negative stereotype alive. Active Minds hosts several seminars and even an online simulation on how to challenge those that proliferate the toxic way of thinking of mental illnesses. In a pre-post comparison study done at the University College London, students were tested on their knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors pertaining to mental health, before and after watching an anti-stigma film called “The Wounded Healer”. They recorded their responses on Likert scales and the results were similar across-the-board. Every single participant either agreed or strongly agreed with the post-evaluation statement “I feel inspired to raise awareness of the importance of mental health and to take action to challenge stigma”, showing that film-based interventions are an effective method to challenging the bad reputation and encourage care seeking among students
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