With the new semester kicking off (we’re almost a month in!), I thought I would share some lesser-known facts about mental health. I hope this will make for an interesting read, and that it may be as eye-opening for yourself as it was for me regarding mental health.
Mental health affects us all in various ways. One of the most common ways it affects students, especially in today’s stressful academic environment, is by hurting their immune systems. Have you noticed that you may be getting a cold or feeling fatigued? There’s an entire gene that is responsible for the connection between your immune system and your mental health. This gene is the Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) gene. This particular gene can actually make you more susceptible to autoimmune disorders and even little infections! The gene, located on chromosome 6, secretes a protein product that precipitates the macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF). This means that even when you get an infection, your macrophages (those powerful inflammatory fighters) will not be able to effectively fight back! Additionally, if this genetic component is coupled with environmental stressors, like a rough schedule, a rude supervisor, or dealing with emotional issues, then that makes you all the more susceptible to poor mental health. This, coupled with genetic susceptibility, may be making you sick. For more information, check out this article in Nature.
Please don’t neglect how you may be feeling. Talk to someone – a friend, a counselor, or even your pet.
Additionally, poor mental health can make you more susceptible to suicidal ideation. This is based on a stress-diathesis model which shows that the psychiatric illness is multifactorial – in other words, suicidal ideation might not just be due to an existing psychiatric illness. Other factors can include any adverse childhood experiences, stress, or even low socioeconomic status! This study looks more at the correlation between suicide risk and mental disorders.
If you ever feel like it might be “over,” or like you can’t do anything to alleviate your situation, please confide in someone about your situation. You matter! This situation may be temporary. The world NEEDS you, so please don’t ever think otherwise because, eleven times out of ten, someone is silently rooting for you. Other options can also include confiding in the Crisis Text Line (send TEXTO to 686868) if you do not feel comfortable calling in. This is completely confidential and you can stop conversing with the crisis worker at any time.
Typically, as college students, we’re used to just “sucking it up” and holding it all in. If you’re thinking that I just have to hold it together until reading week, until I get into law school, or until the grade posts, you have adopted a conditional-worth style of thinking. Stop holding it together! Let it out NOW. Find a bathroom stall, talk to your best friend, or set up a meeting with a counselor. Studies show that we, the young early career-driven individuals, are very likely to experience burnout. We are told to continue working hard, that certain individuals have it harder than us, or that we’re just not working hard enough. This toxic mentality and misconceptions like these lead to burnout when we do enter the career level. Why should we work so hard to attain certain careers only to end up performing worse due to burnout? Start now. Take those breaks, learn to say “no,” and know that you are not required to “work hard” 24/7. Listen to your non-academic needs. To learn more about burnout check out this great journal article.
There are several articles on how to take care of yourself, such as my friend Ivana’s article, which you can access here and here. Please prioritize how you feel early on so you can tackle those immune system hardships, fight that fever, prevent negative thinking and isolation, as well as burnout in the long run. All of these problems are being studied extensively for a reason – they are becoming more commonplace. Let’s prevent this by actually starting to implement what we hear about self-care, and prioritize our own feelings and ourselves instead of finding excuses to neglect our very pressing needs – don’t delay taking care of your mental health.