This past week was Mental Health Awareness Week for Biola students, following the World Health Organization’s day for mental health on Oct. 10. What is the purpose of these holidays, and how do they help students — if at all? 

MENTAL HEALTH FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS 

For many students, college can be a stressful and anxiety-inducing time. According to the event overview page for 2022’s Mental Health Awareness Week, hosted by Biola’s Office for Student Development and Student Wellness, “Recent studies have shown that stress, anxiety, and depression are increasing in college students. Many students are feeling anxious being back on campus and now surrounded by people.” 

Biola’s website addresses the social anxiety students are feeling after isolation, but according to the National Health Service in the UK, “Many people with social anxiety also have other mental health issues, such as depression, generalised anxiety disorder or panic disorder.” The goal of Mental Health Awareness week at Biola is to help students take care of their mental health by providing them with resources and activities such as bingo, live music and a “well-being playground,” where students can “release some energy and ease stress and tension that has been building.”

BIOLA’S OVERALL APPROACH TO MENTAL HEALTH 

According to Biola’s Student Handbook, “The University cares deeply about the physical and mental health of its students and provides supportive resources for our students’ overall wellbeing, including health and counseling services … The University will support student-initiated self-care plans and/or at times may initiate such plans. In doing so, it will consider both the welfare of the individual student and the University community.”

EDITORS’ NOTES

Noel: In January of 2021, my neighbor’s house exploded due to a gas leak. It was that night that I experienced my first panic attack — well, panic attacks. I had seven of them, and I was up all night feeling the sickest I have ever felt in my whole life. I genuinely thought that my life was ruined, and that I would not be able to finish school because of this all-consuming illness. But, thanks to the Learning Center and my amazing professors, I was able to receive the support I needed to power through the rest of my sophomore year of college while I sought out therapy and psychiatric resources that would help me obtain relief. 

I am now a senior, and I have made tremendous progress with my panic disorder (although I still have bad days.) I truly believe that I would not have made it this far without the support I received from Biola, the Learning Center and my professors. 

Emily: I have been struggling with depressive tendencies and anxiety attacks since eighth grade. More recently, social anxiety has cropped up post-pandemic. Since coming to Biola, I have been able to get mental health help for my social anxiety through the Biola Counseling Center. Professors have also been very accommodating when I do experience severe anxiety attacks or migraines. 

While events like mental health awareness week might be helpful for students who do not have experience or knowledge about taking care of their mental health, it is important for students to be aware of all of the resources at their disposal at Biola if they are facing something more serious. Most people need to seek some sort of mental health support after experiencing trauma or loss of any kind, which is most of our student body at this point. 

Mental health resources at Biola include the Biola Counseling Center, Biola Student Wellness Center and Campus Safety.