Seven of ten college students feel stressed about their college finances in a study researched by The Ohio State University. According to the study of more than 100,000 students by Penn’s Center for Collegiate Mental Health, more than half of the students visiting campus health clinics listed anxiety as a concern.
In a survey done by the American College Health association it was reported that 21.9 percent of college students said that within the last 12 months, anxiety had affected their academic performance.
Students who deal with all of these struggles are welcome to visit the Santa Ana College Health and Wellness Center located in room VL-211. The psychological center has certified psychiatrists available whenever a student may be dealing with depression, stress or any other struggle in life.
“We have students here that don’t have anyone to turn to. They are very self-sufficient and independent. This is a place where students can come and talk to someone who they are not related to or talk to them about the issues they may be having.” said Amanda Trama, a psychological doctoral intern at SAC.
The term “self-care” has become a popular topic on social media, with impactful world events like the Las Vegas shooting and President Trump’s decision to end DACA the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Act.
Psychologists say self-care is any activity that we do willfully in order to take care of our emotional, mental and physical health.
“Self-care to me depends on how you treat yourself when it comes to handling challenges,” said Edwin Guevara, a sophomore at SAC.
Psychological Services also recognizes news events that may affect students, leading them to offer clinics and healing circles on campus this semester. One of the clinics hosted by Psychological Services as a result of the Las Vegas shooting gave students an opportunity to talk about any feelings they had towards the incident and if they were associated with any of the victims.
The DACA healing circle was also available for students to process the emotions of possibly losing their work permits, driver’s licenses or relatives who could be deported. “It’s a major topic that is being discussed and we wanted to be supportive throughout the campus – not just in Psychological Services,” Trama said.
Some ways psychologists say students can continue maintaining self-care off-campus includes exercising, making art and writing down thoughts. These can be effective ways to maintain personal health and lower stress levels, while doing something enjoyable.
“I like to go boxing and I really love to go for a run while my music is playing. It’s really stress-relieving for me,” said Kevin Lopez, a sophomore at SAC, describing how he escapes the stress from his day-to-day life.
According to a national analysis conducted by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, young adults in the U.S., especially college students who use social media more frequently than their peers, report higher levels of perceived social isolation.
Social isolation is a state of complete or near-complete lack of contact between an individual and other people.
“Good self-care is a key component to improve mood and reduce anxiety, It’s also key to a good relationship with oneself and others,” Trama said. The campus is currently trying to implement workshops for further DACA healing purposes, but dates have yet to be announced.
“I personally haven’t used the psychological services at SAC, but I’m sure that it is very beneficial for students who are having a hard time. For me though, I always find prayer and communal relationships to be of the best use for any difficult situation. Self-care for me is having a state of peace and contentment,” Jerry Requena, a sophomore at SAC, said.
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