Everyone deals with mental health; it is an inherent part of being human. As college students, though, prioritizing our mental health sometimes gets put on the back burner as we’re weighed down with other tasks such as classes, coursework, extracurriculars and our social lives. Although all college students might experience moments of mental health struggles, studies have shown that women tend to experience mental health concerns in increasing numbers. In adolescence, depression can be seen in girls twice as often as in boys. This can continue into college, resulting in depression and anxiety as a young adult. Every college student knows how difficult the transition from high school to higher education is, and that balancing academia with everything else isn’t easy. 

On top of all that, being a student in the United States at this time means that the fear of a school shooting is never far from our minds. When a mass shooting makes the news and our devices are flooded with media coverage, that only adds to our anxiety about the possibility. When we ourselves experience the fear of a shooter possibly being on campus, even when it’s a false alarm, that has detrimental effects on students’ mental health as well. Trying to care for our mental health as college students is a difficult task to begin with, but when faced with the amount of mass shootings that occur in our country, it becomes even more overwhelming. It may seem that there’s no way to combat all of this, but that’s not true.

There are many resources for students who feel their mental health might be suffering. Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) has locations on both St. Joe’s campuses. The center offers both individual and group counseling, workshops and consultations. Counseling has shown to be effective in mental health struggles, and there is no judgment for reaching out for assistance. There are also many mental health hotlines, including the Philadelphia Mental Health Crisis Line (215-685-6440), the Crisis Text Line (Text START to 741-741) and the Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-TALK (8255). These resources are offered to provide help, and should be utilized by students when needed so that they can take the best possible care of their mental health.