The Growing Demand For Counselling Services At Colleges

Counselling is a form of talking therapy that allows individuals to freely talk about their feelings, emotions, struggles, and goals in a safe, nonjudgmental environment. It’s a revolutionary way of addressing psychological and emotional disorders as it allows people to deal with these kinds of predicaments in the healthiest way possible.

With the degree of mental health problems and stress related issues affecting all levels of society in the UK, it’s no surprise why the demand for counselling services has increased, especially in colleges and universities.

Common Causes of Stress amongst Students

University and college life aren’t easy. According to a recent survey, 78% of students reported having had a mental health problem over the past year, and 33% had had suicidal thoughts. ⁽¹⁾

For the sake of pursuing the dream for a better life and a bright future, a student moves out of his home to transfer to an entirely different environment. This is where they become exposed to various types of pressure – peer pressure, financial limitations, passing examinations, etc. and constantly worry about how and where to find a job after college.

For some, these challenges are quite overwhelming, and it’s entirely possible that a student deals with multiple mental health problems during his education.

Most Common Mental Health Problems during College Life

The most common mental health disorders that UK-based students develop are depression and anxiety. From the same study, 77% of students experience depression while 74% are afflicted with anxiety. The shocking fact is 74% of students with anxiety also experience depression at the same time.

Others (14%) develop eating disorders, which may be directly or indirectly related to poor body image. 5% of the students have developed behavioural issues while the same percentage of students experience learning disabilities.

Stress and anxiety disorders are likely to disrupt a person’s daily functioning capacity. As a matter of fact, six out ten students report that stress and anxiety prevent them from getting daily tasks done. On the other hand, 1 out of 5 students states that they have a lingering fear of failure.

How Students Coped Without Counselling

When counselling services weren’t as accessible as they are now, students chose destructive forms of coping (i.e. drugs, alcohol, sex, dropping out, suicide) with their mental health issues – which haven’t been adequately diagnosed.

How Counselling Helps

Since colleges and universities are encouraging their students to take advantage of in-school counselling services, students are proactively seeking help. There are also numerous counselling directories available online through UK government-affiliated websites as well as trusted and health-related websites.

In the UK, roughly one out of five students have already made use of mental health services offered by their university or college while 3 out of 5 students have talked to a counsellor they contacted through counselling directories. The best part is, 4 out of 5 students state that counselling helped them manage stress, depression, anxiety and other types of mental health issues.

Seeking help allows you to discover the best version of yourself. When done at the earliest possible time, it helps counsellors and their clients diagnose mental health problems early, which lessens the likelihood of the conditions worsening.

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