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The ADVANCE, May 12, 2021/Page 11A
Common signs of mental
health or substance use
disorders in young adults
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The threat of anxiety and
depression among college students
The moment young
people arrive on college
campuses and begin their
lives as college students
marks a significant mile
stone. College provides
many young people with
their first taste of indepen
dence, and that newfound
freedom can sometimes
feel overwhelming, espe
cially when it's coupled
with academic challenges
that are much more rigor
ous than they were in high
school.
According to data from
the National Alliance on
Mental Illness, 80 percent
of college students feel
overwhelmed by their re
sponsibilities as a student.
NAMI data also indicates
that 50 percent of college
students rate their mental
health as below average or
poor. Anxiety and depres
sion are two mental health
issues that affect many col
lege students as they try to
juggle the various demands
associated with being stu
dents. Anyone who sus
pects they or a student they
know is experiencing either
of these issues should reach
out to a mental health pro
fessional immediately.
Depression
Depression among
college students may have
been exacerbated during
the COVID-19 pandemic.
A 2020 survey conducted
by the Healthy Minds
Network in collaboration
with the American College
Health Association found
that the rate of depression
among college students has
increased since the onset of
the pandemic. Though stu
dents typically have readily
available access to mental
health professionals on
campus, that access has
been compromised during
the pandemic as students,
counselors and educators
learn and work remotely.
College mental health
counselors were available
via video conferencing dur
ing the pandemic, but stu
dents may not be aware of
that, while
of interest in social activi
ties.
Anxiety
A 2017 report from
Penn State University's
Center for Collegiate
Mental Health found that
anxiety is one of the two
most common reasons col
lege students seek mental
health services (the other
is depression). In fact, the
Anxiety and Depression
Association of America
reports that 13 percent of
college students have been
diagnosed with a mental
—^ health con-
Young adulthood is a
period of incredible tran
sition marked by personal
growth and a newfound
sense of independence.
Many young adults con
front that transition while
simultaneously dealing
with a mental health is
sue or substance abuse
disorder. According to
the Substance Abuse and
Mental Health Services
Administration, young
adults between the ages
of 18 and 25 had a high
er prevalence of serious
mental illness when com
pared to adults between
the ages of 26 and 49 and
adults age 50 and older.
In addition, SAMHSA
notes that more than five
million young adults re
port having a substance
use disorder. Such issues
can make the transition
from teenager to young
adult more challenging,
potentially compromis
ing young people's ability
to live full and indepen
dent lives. Treatment is
Hobbies can help
people escape the daily
grind. Though it's easy to
view hobbies as enjoyable
ways to pass the time, they
also can be vehicles that
enrich your life.
Hobbies are especial
ly good at helping people
learn new skills. They also
may help boost profes
sional and personal devel
opment.
Hobbies play a vital
role for a variety of rea
sons, and some hobbyists
may be surprised to learn
just how much their fa
vorite form of escapism is
benefitting their lives.
• Hobbies may help
to relieve stress by keeping
you engaged with some
thing you enjoy. Reduc
ing stress may help you
remain calm and be more
productive at home, at
work and in school. Re
duced stress also translates
into improved mental and
physical health.
• People who engage
in hobbies experience
vital when confronted
by mental health or sub
stance use disorders, and
far too many young adults
report receiving no treat
ment at all. For example,
SAMHSA notes that 87
percent of young adults
with substance use dis
orders report receiving
no treatment for their
conditions. Learning to
recognize these common
signs may compel young
adults to seek treatment,
while loved ones of
young adults who notice
any of the following signs
can encourage men and
women to seek treatment.
• Trouble sleeping or
oversleeping
• Loss of interest in
hobbies and friends
• Feelings of anxious
ness
• Changes in overall
energy levels
• Changes in appetite
and weight
• Feelings of hope
lessness
• Difficulty in daily
new things and may inter
act with different people
through their interests.
This can give you various
topics to discuss in con
versation and make you
more interesting to others.
Learning skills through
hobbies also means you
will obtain specialized
knowledge that you can
impart on people with
similar interests.
• Hobbies can be cre
ative outlets that take your
mind off of other things.
For people who have trou
ble with meditation and
other mindful ways to shut
off their brains, hobbies
can be a form of escapism
that leaves you alone with
your thoughts. According
to the self-improvement
resource Personal Growth,
most hobbies actually
have a meditative effect on
your thoughts because, no
matter what you are doing,
your awareness becomes
completely focused on the
hobby.
• Hobbies can im-
functioning
• Extreme mood
changes
• Thoughts of suicide
The National In
stitutes of Health urges
anyone concerned with
their mental health to
bring those concerns to
the attention of their pri
mary care providers. The
NIH notes that people
with mental health con
ditions can be at risk for
other medical conditions,
including heart disease
and diabetes. In addition,
the National Institute on
Drug Abuse notes that
addiction can increase a
person's risk for various
diseases, including cancer
and HIV/AIDS.
People who suspect
they or a loved has a men
tal health or substance
use disorder are urged
to contact their primary
care physicians. Treat
ment options and addi
tional resources also are
available at www.samhsa.
gov.
prove your social life and
foster creative bonds with
others, providing great
ways to meet and get
closer to people who share
your interests.
• Hobbies can help
stave off boredom, pro
viding productive outlets
when there is nothing else
available to fill the time.
Hobbies can be more ben
eficial ways to spend your
time than playing games
on a phone or watching
television.
• Hobbies also may
be educational and enrich
knowledge through skill
building. People who start
with one hobby may find
connections to other ones,
further developing their
knowledge and skill sets.
If embracing new
hobbies is on your list of
resolutions for the upcom
ing year, individuals can
rest assured that engaging
in hobbies promotes per
sonal growth in various
ways.
others
might
be uncom-
f o r t a b 1 e
discussing
their men
tal health in
dorm rooms
or apart
ments they
share with
fellow stu-
dents.
Symp
toms of
depression include feelings
of sadness or hopelessness,
loss of motivation, sleep
lessness, trouble concen
trating, changes in appetite
and body weight, and loss
d i t i o n
linked to
anxiety.
Anxiety
among
college stu
dents can be
triggered by
social and/or
ac- ademic pressures.
Being in constant fear, ex
periencing frequent head
aches, exhibiting shortness
of breath, difficulty con
centrating, constant feel
ings of stress or irritabil
ity, irregular heartbeat, and
muscle pain or tension are
some symptoms associated
with anxiety.
Help is available to
students dealing with de
pression or anxiety. Men
tal health professionals on
campus can be invaluable
resources as students try to
overcome issues that can
affect their quality of life
while on campus.
Hobbies promote personal growth
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