Mental Health Issues in UK Students

In the United Kingdom, 1 in every 3 university students are said to have suffered from a mental health issue for which they believe requires help from a professional. Most of these students suffer from anxiety, breakdowns, and depression. There are even students contemplating suicide, and this is worrying a lot of school administrators and health care professionals.

According to the NHS, these mental health issues are not rare among students in the UK, as they are in the general population. About 33 percent of students would often feel lonely, isolated, or alone, while about 8 percent of these students are going to feel down, anxious and worried about anything. The current global health crisis has even contributed to the surge of these mental health problems. Students felt helpless as things looked bleak due to the pandemic.

What is the Main Source of Stress Among Students?

Stress among students and young adults is greatly attributed to isolation and health-related anxiety. These two frequently trigger stress among these kids. Loneliness and isolation typically increase the chances of being stressed and depressed among students. Making new friends in a new environment or school can be a challenge to some, and this can have an impact on the student’s mental health. These students feel left out as they start their college years. Health-related anxiety has become very common nowadays. With the pandemic affecting a lot of students, this caused them to become more stressed, anxious, and worried about their own health and their families. Academic pressure and the uncertainty about the future are also adding fuel to the fire to these students. 

According to a report, 7 out of 10 ages 18 to 24 are anxious and very worried about employment. They are very concerned about how they can make a living in the near future with the current COVID-19 pandemic still affecting lots of businesses and industries. 

How Can We Resolve These Growing Concerns?

To cope up with these mental health issues, academic experts from the following essay writing service UK.CustomWritings.com have recommended students join student clubs, sports teams as well as other cultural activities. These can make them preoccupied with connecting with other students, makes them busy and forget what has been worrying them, and would make them feel less isolated. However, should their mental health problems continue to persist, it is always best to have them talk to a health professional.

To help students in the country cope up with these mental health issues, here are things that you can do.

Make a plan

Set a day to meet up with friends, or take the opportunity to visit your family. Set a date and look forward to it. Now that restrictions have been eased, you can plan a day out with your friends and go to leisure parks to relax and unwind.

Socialise

Although this may not be everyone’s cup of tea, at least have a friend or have someone to talk to. Hang out with friends or classmates. Even when some of them are far away, mobile apps and social media can help reach out to your friends. No matter what you use, it is vital that you start talking to people.

Exercise

This might sound a cliché, but every time you exercise, you release those happy hormones. Not only will you feel energetic and physically strong, you also improve your health. You do not have to go to the gym or join an Iron Man marathon. You can simply hike with friends, or ride your bicycle, or even play some football with friends, whatever you do, go break some sweat. It is good for you.

Listen to soothing music

Jazz, pop, country and folk, instrumental whatever your genre is, listening to beautiful and soothing music helps you relax. It can help you sleep and wake up energetic and relaxed. You can also listen to some dance beats and maybe dance a bit. It can really help you deal with stress.

Call your family

If you have been away from home due to college, now is the perfect time to call home. Listening and talking to your parents or your siblings and catching up will make you feel more connected.

Read books

No, not your laptop or tabs, a real book. Forget your text books for a while and read some novels or feel-good books that you have shelved since attending uni.

Take some time out

Forget for a while what is bothering you. Stay away from things that contribute to whatever negative thoughts you have. Give yourself a break. Pamper yourself. Treat yourself to a massage or take a long hot shower. Cook your favorite food or simply go out and have a cup of your favorite tea while watching a beautiful view. You can even go to an animal shelter and play with the dogs or cats. Remember, this has to be you and you alone. It is your me-time!

Conclusion

These simple things can help students cope up with whatever mental health issues they are experiencing right now. Not totally 100% foolproof, but these can have some positive impact on them. Admittedly, these are not enough. Students struggling with deeper mental health problems might be better off talking to a professional. And if you are one of these students, remember that there are lifelines that can help you deal with these issues.

If you have been depressed, felt isolated or anxious in school, talk to your guidance counsellor. You can also reach out to a support group in your school. You can also talk to mental health groups like the Anxiety UK, the Mental Health Foundation, the No Panic group, and for suicide prevention, call Papyrus. For those feeling down and depressed, reach out to Samaritans, while YoungMinds is for smaller kids and adolescents. You can check out their respective websites for their information.

To some, mental health issues may not look serious, but to students experiencing this, it is really something to look into by mental health professionals.

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