Enhancing UMD student experience through improved mental health awareness

Being a student at UMD creates infinite opportunities for personal growth and learning experiences. UMD has been an exciting place where I thrive both as a student and as an athlete but it has also been a place where I have experienced overwhelming emotions such as anxiety.

Students in different colleges can experience tremendous stress that can trigger mental illnesses. The American Psychological Association has disclosed that 95% of school administrators in the US agree that mental health represents an issue at their institute. Sadly there is a big stigma surrounding mental health. Students are not seeking the help that they need because they are unsure of the severity of their issue or do not want to be discriminated against. Students also do not want to take resources away from those that are in greater need. Fear and misunderstanding often lead to prejudice against people with mental illness, this prejudice can lead to feelings of hopelessness in those struggling to cope with their situation. Enhancing UMD student experience through improved mental health awareness. I believe that college students at UMD are reluctant to use available services that the university provides. UMD has developed a supporting environment but I believe that the institution should establish more in-depth the level of stigma surrounding mental health on campus. The institution could send out every year a survey where the college students can anonymously answer questions on a sliding scale about whether they would accept someone as a friend, or think less of someone if they knew that the person has been treated for mental illnesses. 

The pandemic has impacted very hard college students. I believe that the students have become more vulnerable to mental health disorders. UMD needs to work towards normalizing mental health issues. I believe that the greatest barrier to seeking help on the UMD college campus is not the lack of services provided but the fear of being isolated or marginalized. 

As college students at UMD, we take different mandatory courses. The University of Maryland should make mental health education a priority and a mandatory aspect of a college education. The university offers numerous courses about physical and nutritional health but not enough about mental health. UMD should offer a course where people can talk openly about mental health to educate themselves and others and to encourage equality between physical and mental illnesses. This course would help address the stigma associated with mental illness. To challenge this stigma it takes understanding, education, and a closer look towards our attitudes. This course would be crucial to educate and create a better understanding among college students. The goal of this institute is to prepare students for their future. Mental health is something that everyone will have to deal with at some point in their life. This might be getting help or helping someone else. Teaching college students that it is okay and important to seek help should be a priority of the institute. The best way that students are going to learn to understand mental health is to educate them.