Have you ever taken a step back and thought about the current state of your own mental health? From avoiding their problems and feelings to not ever realizing something may be wrong, billions of people suffer from mental health problems, and many  do not know there are ways to get help. 

In today’s world, it seems the people affected many by mental health problems, the most common being depression, anxiety, and excess amounts of stress, are students.

Brooke Klein, a freshman at Hilbert, previously attending Daemen College and Erie Community College. She said …

Hamm is also a freshman who transferred this year from University at Buffalo.

“Before I started college and even before COVID-19, I had experienced anxiety, which I think has only gotten worse for me since my first year of college.” Klein said.

Klein said her mental health state is influenced greatly by her workloads.

Katherine Pappas, a Hilbert Sophomore, said she has experienced similar mental health issues.

“I have experienced mild depression for a while, and even though school always affects my moods, some semesters can be worse than others,” Pappas said. “It all depends on the amount of stress pushed onto us as students.”

On the other hand, Alesia Hamm is a freshman who transferred this year from University at Buffalo tells us she is able to deal with her stress easier,

“I have definitely experienced mental health issues in the past, but I think I am much better now,” Hamm said. “I do not think college has too much of a negative effect on my mental health.”

As the years go on there is a continuous increase in rates of mental health issues,  especially since the ages affected keep lowering, schools have tried to make counselors and resources more accessible.

Hilbert offers help to students such as counselors and comforting teachers.

Klein said she was surprised to learn the Hilbert offers mental health counseling services.

“I was not even aware that Hilbert offered mental health resources to students,” she said.

Even though these resources are offered, they may not be advertised enough to the people who need it the most.

 Pappas said she would be more like to use the services if the hours were more expansive.

“I knew about the resources offered, however the office hours of the counselor on campus are very limited.,” Pappas said. “I am not even sure when he is around.” 

When it comes to mental health, everyone is different because everyone thinks and feels differently. While one student may be super stressed about a project due in a week, another student may be able to schedule their time out and calmly deal with it. Others avoid their stress and just get things done, even though they may have some feelings bottled up. This means everyone does something different to cope with stress, depression, anxiety, etc.

When these students were asked what mainly contributes to their mental health issues, the only common answer was stress from school. 

Klein said getting away from school can help her feel better.

“When I’m feeling stressed or having a bad day mentally, I like to take a day off and really focus on myself,” she said. “When I have a day off it brings me to a more peaceful, happier mindset.”

Hamm said writing and going on drives alone are helpful for her. Pappas said driving is also helpful for her. “Sometimes I just drive around randomly, and it clears my head completely.” Pappas said., “I also like going on drives alone, but also love walking, reading, seeing my friends, or listening to music. Anything to take my mind off the stress or anxiety for a day or two really helps me.”