Suicide is final.
Now the second leading cause of death for college students, suicide has become a bonafide American health crisis.
American College Health Association data reports that 11.3 percent of college students say they have considered suicide. In 2018, one in five students have considered suicide, with 9 perecent making an attempt and 20 percent inflicting self-harm.
Health care experts report that American students struggle with finances, grades, maintaining a healthy social life and sometimes mental health issues.
Southwestern College students are not immune. An estimated 80 percent of SC enrollees suffer from anxiety, food or housing insecurity, PTSD or financial stressors. Crisis counselor Dr. Clarence Amaral said each of these factors can individually or together exacerbate anxiety and depression. He said stress is the root of most student mental health ailments.
“They are so stressed about getting the good grade,” he said. “Jobs, relationships and family issues are other struggles that could be worrying them.”
Amaral said many students come to dreadful and apocalyptic interpretations of their situations based on past traumas. Some stressed students believe that for the rest of their lives they are doomed to feel as badly as they do today.
“Students should remember that this part of their life is temporary,” he said.
SC Personal Wellness Services staff is there to support students feeling stress and dispair, Amaral said. Services include crisis intervention, initial psychological assessment and case management.
Counselors, workshops and disability support are also available.
Janel Barrientos, 19, a film major, said she struggles with depression, insecurity and anxiety. These conditions effect schoolwork and it causes her to procrastinate.
“School is not the root of my depression, but contributes to it,” she said. “It makes my anxiety build and I get so overwhelmed sometimes I feel like I can’t finish my work.”
Stress leaves her questioning herself, Barrientos said, which often leads to overthinking everything else.
“I want to do well in school, but sometimes it’s hard to even care,” she said.
Natalia Munoz, 18, said poor mental has taken a toll on her education.
“It gives me unnecessary stress and baggage,” she said. “I begin to stress over every little thing, but I try to put it in the back of my head so I don’t have to think about it.”
Munoz is also working a part-time job.
“Even right now, I am thinking about all the things I need to do for school and it haunts me,” she said.
Personal Wellness Services is located in the Cesar Chavez Student Center. Students may walk-in without an appointment.
