The Age of Anxiety and How it is Sweeping Across College

Student: I Don’t Care

Anxiety: I do
Campuses and Impacting Students

By: Kamryn Dey

Mental health issues across the United States are typically associated with words that

bring about a negative connotation such as demented, deranged, or mad. With that way of

thinking, it’s often challenging to overlook these illnesses and see the person struggling behind

them versus these harsh words. While mental health is a problem across all ages, a spike is seen

today in college aged students especially. Between the social aspect, taking advanced classes in

academia most interesting to the individual, and the immense amount of new freedom, pursuing

a higher education and a university or college gives most students a positive and enriching

future. But at what cost? According to the American Psychological Association, ninety-five

percent of counseling centers at colleges and universities state that the number of growing

psychological and mental health problems is a serious concern and seventy percent believe the

number of students with these problems has increased in the past year alone.i Of course, college

students attribute this time of change with some sort of anxiety; however, how much is too

1
much? In 2010, the National Survey of Counseling Center Directors (NSCCD) discovered that

44% of counseling clients had severe problems which is a huge jump from the rate 2000.ii The

most common disorders were anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, alcohol abuse, eating

disorders and self-injury.iii Many attribute this rise in anxiety and other psychological disorders

to society today such as technology and

the high expectations to live up to. Figure 1

College students set up the perfect

storm for high levels of anxiety.

Between overbooking themselves and

trying to fit in, to over stressing about

grades that sets up their future plans

and trying to be on their own for once,

it is reported that college students today

are showing the greatest levels of

anxiety, depression, eating disorders,

and poor sleep patterns than any time in

our nations history.iv There is no

question that college is a time of
immense growth, and with the increasing
demand to be an all around successful person
and immediately have future plans laid out,
anxiety has taken the number one spot for
According to Penn State’s 2015 annual report, which
“offers a snapshot of U.S. college students’ mental
health,” the above statistics represent the rise of mental
health problems across college campuses.
Source: “Annual Report Offers Snapshot of U.S. College
Students' Mental Health, Needs.” Penn State, Penn State
University, 5 Feb. 2015,
news.psu.edu/story/343727/2015/02/05/research/annual-
report-offers-snapshot-us-college-students%E2%80%99-
mental-health.

primary mental health concerns according to counselors; the best solution is to offer free

2
counseling sessions and other mental health awareness seminars to open up the conversation and

potentially make preventative measures for students to carry with them.

History of Psychological Services on College Campuses

Amherst College was the first university to provide a student medical service in 1861,

similar to what we call University Health Services today at our Penn State Campus.v However, it

wasn't until 1910 when Princeton University opened the nation’s first mental health service on

campus.vi The decision to open this facility came after many “well-qualified Princeton

students”vii were found leaving the university because of their own emotional and personal

issues. During the early 1900’s mental health was still treated as a disease and a morally wrong,

therefore students felt guilty or ashamed for their struggles. Following Princeton University’s

discoveries about their students, other colleges and universities such as University of Wisconsin,

the US Military Academy at West Point, and Dartmouth College established similar programs in

order to best provide for their students. Many schools delayed any action however because of the

lack of education and trained professionals. In 1920, during the American Student Health

Association meeting, the forefront of the conversation was led by Frankwood Williams, MD. He

outlined the importance of “mental hygiene” which brought mental illness into a new light.

During his speech, he outlined the four reasons to establish a mental health program across

college campuses.

“(1) “[t]he conservation of the student body, so that intellectually capable students may not be forced unnecessarily

to withdraw, but may be retained”; (2) “[t]he forestalling of failure in the form of nervous and mental diseases,

immediate or remote”; (3) “[t]he minimizing of partial failure in later mediocrity, inadequacy, inefficiency, and

unhappiness”; and (4) “[t]he making possible of a large individual usefulness by giving to each a fuller use of the

intellectual capacity he possesses, through widening the sphere of conscious control and thereby widening the

sphere of social control.”viii

3
This would continue on to the next decade. Fast forward to the most recent forty years and the

conversation about mental illness has become much more open and willing. Rather than avoid

the topic or treat it as a negative, universities have expanded and focused on prevention

especially when relating to substance abuse. There has also been a rise of mental health

professionals available at each counseling center versus the 1930’s where only one counselor

was required per 2,000 students. Specifically to the rise of anxiety, in 2014 Penn State published

a study which would ultimately change the focus on mental health help

and how it is viewed Figure 2

today. Anxiety has

become the most

common diagnosis

among college students

and it’s only increasing.

While everyone

experiences anxiety and

a small amount is good

for being productive, the

levels these students are feeling is past the point of positivity. The best way to look at this is

imagining a mountain. This can also be viewed in Figure 2. When a student is on the flat side,

before beginning up the mountain they are feeling low anxiety and as a result, not getting much

done whether that be progression in relationships or school work. This is fine at some periods of

time but not all stages of life. For example this would be during a vacation or school break such

as a long weekend. As you begin going up the mountain, anxiety is increasing, and so is

4
production. When you get to the peak, students are at their “prime anxiety levels.” Meaning they

are feeling anxious about a test or project or a relationship but they know they can fix their stress

and anxiety by studying or reaching out to a friend. There is a final destination in their mind and

it is achievable. As students continue down the right side of the mountain, anxiety is so high that

they seem to “check out.” Production is far too low and their anxiety is overruling them. Many

students feel this way during finals or when they have too much on their plate. This level of

anxiety and very unhealthy. It leads to withdrawal from beneficial studying and lower self

esteem ultimately a feeling of hopelessness and inability to succeed. This is where students are

struggling today. The results are detrimental, failing grades, turning to drugs and alcohol and a

loss of relationships.

Social Media as an Influence on Anxiety

Many college-aged students today, grew up in an era of technology. Freshman to seniors

are a mix of Millennials and Generation Z, meaning they are described as growing up or being

introduced to technology young. Around middle school, these generations were just starting to

get into social media such as Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat. This alone can cause high levels

of anxiety due to a “photo-based platform” which attempts to promote self-expression but can

really just accentuate unrealistic lifestyle and body image. Along with this is a term coined by

college-aged students, ‘FOMO’ or fear of missing out. Studies have suggested that using social

media for more than two hours a day can report psychological distress. As noted again by

Huffington Post, anxiety has superseded depression as the “most prevalent disorder among

college campuses.” About one-sixth of students are diagnosed with anxiety.ix In an interview

with a Duke student, she notes, “Students are always on their phones. That’s just the generation.

We are always interconnected, in communication.”x Because anxiety is sort of an umbrella

5
diagnosis, there can be many underlying and more specific problems such as social anxiety or a

form of depression. Through media, anxiety and feeling stress levels off the charts, has become

cliché. College students are undergoing their own struggles but the trend to is to “top other

students,” some report. For example, say Student A has three exams and a paper due on

Thursday and shares this with Student B, a common response from Student B today would be,

“Well I have four exams, work and a research project due Monday!” We as students are building

up this anxious environment and yet no one is addressing the root problem. And at the same

time, students are expected to put up a front on social media that shows everything is just fine.

According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, almost 20% of people with

social media cannot go three hours without checking them.xi

With technology not going anywhere in the near future, it is hard to think of a solution to

this rise in social and general anxiety based solely off college expectations represented in social

media. However, applications such as, Freedom, available on both iPhone and iPad, allows users

to create ‘block-lists’ and schedule time away from your most distracting apps. For students this

could be very beneficial during a stressful final season or other influx of academic work. Another

one commonly used is Moment. The app itself tracks your use so you can see real time how

much you are using. I was curious so I downloaded the app in order to see my own statistics on

usage and was alarmed with what I found. I was averaging about six hours of screen time a day. I

know for me it was a reality check to see how much time I was wasting on social media and

ultimately I realized a lot of it was not beneficial to my well being. Many college women admit

to being unhappy with their bodies so sitting at a screen and looking at “Instagram models” for

hours is a highly unhealthy habit. Going hand and hand with this unrealistic body imaging is the

stress and anxiety that comes with living up to these expectations. According to our own Daily

6
Collegian article at Penn State, 1,000-2,000 women and 50-200 men have eating disorders.

These include subclinical levels of eating disorders.xii Even more shocking, 91% of women

surveyed attempted to control their weight and 16,000 women experienced body discomfort and

low self-esteem.xiii This statistics alone are anxiety provoking and adds to the list of things

college students juggle. However, there is a light shining through the harshness of social media

and the “imaging crisis.” By uniting within our own community men and women alike across

college campuses have started hashtags to gain support for a body positive world. Just last

month, Penn State’s newest sorority Delta Phi Epsilon supported and participated in ANAD

week which stands for Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders Week. By posting images

where these strong women wear no makeup or are posting pictures of them genuinely happy, the

community was able to see a more raw and unedited version of peers and people they looked up

to. By continuing these hashtags and social awareness such as #bodypositive or #realme,

students can come together to break down this anxiety associated with social media and use it as

a positive platform.

Solution Going Forward

In fall of 2016, Penn State’s Counseling and Psychological Services, better known as

CAPS, started a new program to be imbedded in residents halls. This came after the class of

2016 gifted a CAPS endowment which generated funds for further counselor support. CAPS

Chat, which offers students with informal and “drop-in” counseling sessions started in South

residence halls and spread around campus. The goal was to allow students to have access to a

professional outlet to combat problems such as test anxiety, the adjustment to college, and

relationship stress. This step was also implemented in order to “minimizes potential barriers for

students who may benefit from mental health services.”xiv However, one of the more important

7
concepts brought to life by this program was the conversation opening up about mental health.

Rather than have counseling sessions be seen as a ‘treatment,’ these CAPS Chats are casual and

open to all. It allows students who are struggling to find an outlet without having to go to

University Health Services and feel like something is wrong with them. Students who feel

reluctant to seek help based off of judgement or prior misconceptions can get the help they need

before it becomes a bigger problem. “CAPS Chat is intended to be available for students as a

source of early intervention, so students can best take advantage of this service by attending

CAPS Chat hours in the early stages of a concern,” says Jason Yoder, one of the counselors

available.xv By offering a similar service across all college campuses and opening the

conversation about anxiety, students will better be able to cope with what they are feeling.

Another solution to the rise in anxiety in college students is introducing a proactive

mental health seminar to all incoming freshman. During orientation, they cram so much

information into forty-eight hours but not once do they mention anything about anxiety and how

students may potentially feel the coming fall semester. By approaching incoming freshman with

possible outlets such as counseling opportunities or various seminars about stress and test

anxiety, they will be more likely to remember it when they need it most. In addition posting

signs similar to Figure 3 will open students up to realize they are not fighting this battle alone. In

an interview with a student at Boston University she says, “I think a lot of students…are scared

to admit that they’re stressed and worried their life might be crumbling before their eyes.” This

8
shows how students are scared to get help they need

alone.xvi By viewing statistics and seeing how many of Figure 3 their

peers feel similar; it will cause majority to know they can find a

safe haven easily.

More importantly, by breaking the

stigma around mental health and connecting

with the community, students and mentors alike

can stop this age of anxiety. Offering

counseling and proactive solutions to students

and those who are struggling alike will make

the biggest change in this mental health

epidemic. As Boston University professional,

Lisa Smith says, “Often it is more important to

manage your emotional reaction to stress than to

try to change the stressful situation, which may

not be fully under your control.”xvii This is

crucial for students to remember in times of

stress. With anxiety in the number one spot for

mental health concerns; the best solution is to

offer free counseling sessions and other

awareness to start up the conversation and make Source: “Facts.” Anxiety and Depression Association of
America, ADAA, adaa.org/finding-help/helping-
preventative measures for students to carry with others/college-students/facts.

them through their four years.

9
Endnotes

i
“College Students’ Mental Health Is a Growing Concern, Survey Finds.” Monitor on Psychology, American
Psychological Association, June 2013, www.apa.org/monitor/2013/06/college-students.aspx.
ii
Eiser, Arielle. “The Crisis on Campus.” American Psychological Association, American Psychological
Association, Sept. 2011, www.apa.org/monitor/2011/09/crisis-campus.aspx.
iii
Ibid.
iv
Henriques, Gregg. “What Is Causing the College Student Mental Health Crisis?” Psychology Today, Sussex
Publishers, 21 Feb. 2014, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/theory-knowledge/201402/what-is-causing-the-
college-student-mental-health-crisis.
v
David P. Kraft MD, MPH (2011) One Hundred Years of College Mental Health, Journal of American College
Health, 59:6, 477-481, DOI: 10.1080/07448481.2011.569964
vi
Ibid.
vii
Ibid.
viii
Ibid.
ix
Griffin, Riley. “Social Media Is Changing How College Students Deal With Mental Health, For Better Or Worse.”
The Huffington Post, TheHuffingtonPost.com, 22 July 2015, www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/social-media-college-
mental-health_us_55ae6649e4b08f57d5d28845.
x
Ibid.
xi
Fader, Sarah. “Social Media Obsession and Anxiety.” Social Media Obsession and Anxiety, Anxiety and
Depression Association of America, adaa.org/social-media-obsession.
xii
Butkiewicz, Annemarie. “Media Influence on Body Image a Concern for College Students.” The Daily Collegian,
5 Feb. 2014, www.collegian.psu.edu/news/campus/article_356b4b86-8e01-11e3-8cc1-001a4bcf6878.html.
xiii
Ibid.
xiv
Bracken, Shea. “CAPS Chat Program Puts Counselors Where the Students Are.” Penn State, Penn State
University, 31 Aug. 2016, news.psu.edu/story/423568/2016/08/31/campus-life/caps-chat-program-puts-counselors-
where-students-are.
xv
Ibid.
xvi
Brown, Joel. “Anxiety: The Most Common Mental Health Diagnosis in College Students | BU Today | Boston
University.” BU Today, www.bu.edu/today/2016/college-students-anxiety-and-depression/.
xvii
Ibid.

10