Student Well-Being During the Transition to Post-Secondary Education
As summer comes to a close, many adolescents and young adults are embarking on new adventures to college and university. This critical development period poses various opportunities and uncertainties that can impact prospective students’ well-being. The opportunities include stimulated learning environments, meeting new people, and building independence. The challenges include competitiveness, increased stress and risk of mental illness, and pressure to form a sense of belonging and connection. Since the global pandemic, there has been increased awareness of students’ mental health and the importance of addressing and maintaining their well-being throughout the school year. If you or a loved one is starting their post-secondary journey, we want to help you explore the risk factors and strategies to boost focus, resiliency, and effectiveness.
Risk Factors
The transition to post-secondary school highlights a developmental shift where students build autonomy, socialization skills, and boundary setting with their increased freedom. This pressures them to find a sense of belonging outside their comfort zone, leading to feelings of inferiority, substance use, or isolation. The pre-frontal cortex, the location in the brain responsible for decision-making, develops during adolescence and young adulthood, making engaging in dangerous behaviours possible. Post-secondary school also increases the pressure to succeed. This can ignite perfectionism, burnout, and stress, increasing their risk of mental illness at an age where many mental illnesses begin to cultivate. These mental illnesses can include anxiety, depression, or suicide that, if left untreated, can impact their academic futures and prospective careers.
Strategies and Support
The competitive culture of post-secondary education has pressed a need to place wellness as a high priority. This includes reducing the stigma by highlighting the commonality of mental illness, the importance of self-care, and the pride in a balanced life. Advertising for peer and counselling support groups can help students build a sense of belonging and reduce shame for any concerns they face. Ingraining these actions among the student population can reduce feelings of inferiority and isolation that can spark adverse symptoms. Seeking support from peers or loved ones can begin with a conversation highlighting the student’s hopes, fears, feelings, and experiences. This can enhance their ability to express their feelings and needs while gaining connection and support throughout their new and dynamic path. If students wanted a private and safe space to improve their well-being, counselling services would provide them with tools to build their confidence and self-awareness.
We offer support at subsidized rates and flexible availability to help students throughout the school year. This can be discovered more through this link by booking a free consultation.
There are many ways you can become proactive and reduce the effects of the uncertainties and challenges that can occur during this transitional period:
Maintain a routine by setting a sleep and eating schedule to ensure you are well nourished and rested to boost your mood and effectively engage in academic activities.
Engage in mindfulness activities such as sports, meditation, hikes, or breathing exercises to bring awareness to the present moment and understand your progressions, thoughts, and concerns.
Use a journal to track your symptoms of depression, anxiety, or burnout and use self-care strategies to reduce your symptoms. Visit our blog How do I Find my Self-Care Routine? for examples of self-care strategies. If your symptoms impact your well-being, visiting your family doctor can help provide professional guidance and support.
At Changing Tides Counselling, we wish you a wonderful school year ahead. While it can be overwhelming at first, remember you are not alone on your journey and through dedicated efforts to your well-being, you will be well-equipped to prosper in your program and future career.
References
American Psychological Association. (2022, October 12). Student mental health is in crisis.
Campuses are rethinking their approach. Retrieved August 12, 2023, from https://www.apa.org/monitor/2022/10/mental-health-campus-care
Bantjes, J., Hunt, X., & Stein, D. J. (2023). Anxious, depressed, and suicidal: Crisis narratives in university student mental health and the need for a balanced approach to student wellness. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(4859), 4859. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20064859
Duffy, A. (2023). University student mental health: An important window of opportunity for prevention and early intervention. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 68(7), 495–498. https://doi.org/10.1177/07067437231183747
Priestley, M., Broglia, E., Hughes, G., & Spanner, L. (2022). Student perspectives on improving mental health support services at university. Counselling & Psychotherapy Research, 22(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1002/capr.12391
University of Waterloo. (2023, January 25). University culture and the student mental healthcrisis. Retrieved August 12, 2023, from https://uwaterloo.ca/news/university-culture-and-student-mental-health-crisis
School Mental Health Ontario. (n.d.). How to support a mentally healthy back to school for your child. Retrieved August 12, 2023, from https://smho-smso.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Supporting-Mental-Health-and-Wellness-during-the-Return-to-School-Tip-Sheet-EN.pdf