Warwick hosts Mental Health Awareness Week

The student life is often regarded as an ‘easy’ lifestyle, associated with drinking, partying, lie-ins, and only occasionally getting out of bed to go to lectures. However, despite this impression, a staggering one in four students suffer from a mental health problem, such as depression, anxiety, or anorexia, making us the single most mentally vulnerable part of the population.

Roughly speaking, a quarter of people sitting in each lecture theatre will be experiencing an awful amount of personal distress and misery. In order to help sufferers, raise awareness for mental health issues and reduce the stigmas associated with such problems, this week Warwick Psychology Society is hosting Mental Health Awareness Week.

So why are students so susceptible to psychological problems? When considering the daily challenges and obstacles which we have to overcome, one may appreciate the great levels of stress inflicted upon us. There are social issues like coping with intense romantic relationships, dealing with a lazy housemate or recovering from heartbreak, or economic worries, as we are forced to extend our overdrafts to the final limit just to afford to eat.

Just staying on top of academic work involves hundreds of pages of ‘core’ reading, nerve-wracking presentations and regular deadlines. These issues, coupled with the pressure to partake in countless extra-curricular activities to enhance your CV and stand some hope of getting a job after spending £25,000 on your degree, as well as maintaining a successful social life, can evoke intense anxiety.

Put like that, it comes as no surprise that weight fluctuations, depressed mood, lack of personal hygiene, poor concentration, exhaustion and emotional instability are often experienced by students. However, these might be the signs and symptoms of someone who suffers from a mental health condition.

What help is at hand for that 25 percent who suffer from a mental health problem? Talking to your immediate circle of friends and family is bound to help, but if that fails, at Warwick we have our own counselling service which is available free of charge to students. It offers both email and face-to-face counselling and appointments can be arranged by emailing counselling@warwick.ac.uk. There is no need to be embarrassed or self-conscious: mental health problems are very common and can be successfully treated.

Mental Health Awareness Week is promoting this message through talks on issues such as schizophrenia, depression and eating disorders, which will be given by high profile individuals specialised in the field of mental health and even past sufferers. Additionally, workshops will be running on eating disorders, allowing students to get highly involved and contribute. Furthermore, there is a stall on the Piazza where you’ll get a chance to pick up informative leaflets and a programme outlining the week’s events. Donations to the charities promoting mental health awareness are welcomed.

Having a mental health condition is nothing to be ashamed of and you should not suffer in silence. Seek help, support Mental Health Awareness Week, and spread the positive message.