Presentation Image:
Graph Citation:
lflein, J. (2022, February 17). Mental health hospitalizations among college students by year U.S. 2010-2021. Statista. Retrieved April 18, 2022, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/827327/hospitalizations-among-college-students-receiving-mental-health-services-us-by-year/
Presentation Script:
Good afternoon. I would like to start by posing the question, “Would any of you define college as being stress-free and/or the American Dream?” No, exactly it can be VERY stressful. Well, let’s imagine how much more stressful someone with a low socioeconomic status feels as they navigate through college. For those who don’t know, socioeconomic status is a term that describes the social standing, educational level, and economic status of one. A common trait of those with a lower socioeconomic status tends to be their focus on their financial situation, in addition to their academics. Without scholarships and grants, tuition can be high, textbooks are pricey, plus room and board too, amongst other things, Because of this, student may feel disassociated at times in terms of making new friends and ‘fitting in’ to college.
Recent studies have shown that people with a low socioeconomic status tend to have a higher rate of depression and stress than people with high socioeconomic status. This increase in mental health really poses the question of ‘What UNC programs do we have for mental health?” We have general counseling services, but there are only about 2 or 3 programs that are popular to students. Taking a look at a research study conducted in Sweden, regarding the recent trends for mental health in adolescents, it was found that between the years 2004-2020 the mental health issues of our society decreased for children.
However, this was only true for people with an high socioeconomic status. Therefore, on the contrary, it showed an increase in health inequalities for those with low socioeconomic status. This brings me back to my central point, where individuals with low socioeconomic status are more susceptible to poor mental health rates when attending college. As stated previously, students may worry more about the costs for their education, in terms of textbooks, though if they see that their academic performance does not quite match the desired goals, they may also feel defeated. Whereas, other students with high SES do not have to worry as much about financials and can just focus strictly on their academics.
There are many factors that can play a role in one’s health, however, we as UNC students need to do better as a community in helping tackle these problems through mental health programs and more. We can propose student-led weekly events pertaining to mental health. We can also reach out to the mental health and financial services department of UNC and talk to them regarding other things they can incorporate in their program, specifically for students with a low socioeconomic status. Thank you for listening to my presentation, and I hope you all walk away with a better understanding of the impact of socioeconomic status on one’s mental health or ideas to better impact the mental health of our society.
Explication of Research
If we were to ask current college students, right now, if they were having the “time of their lives” they would probably strongly disagree and then proceed to list the hundred assignments and exams they are currently stressing about. Our society’s college experience is often built on the morals of the American dream. We are set to believe that college is the best time of one’s life because of the increased access to friends and freedom, essentially a stress-free environment. Notice how only the social aspect of college is advertised. We can see firsthand examples of this if we turn to the general media. Many American citizens are often glamorizing their college life experience, giving others specific aspirations to look forward to. Now let us determine how one’s socioeconomic status (SES) can play a major role in this. Socioeconomic status is a term that defines one in regards to their social, economic, and education statuses. Studies have shown that people with low SES have a higher chance of experiencing more mental health issues amidst college than those with high SES. We can see privilege plays a role in SES as well.
Now let’s take a look at the recent trends for mental health in adolescents. In a research student conducted in Sweden researchers investigated the trends of various mental health problems, such as suicide attempts, depressive problems, and more. They also looked at the role of gender during these trends. The authors collected data through bi-annual cross-sectional surveys ranging between the years of 2004 and 2020. There was a total of about 32,061 adolescents participating in the study, which was portioned into a total of forty nine percent of girls, and 51 percent boys. These children were enrolled in middle school and upper secondary schools. They found that mental health problems did in fact decrease throughout the years of 2004 and 2020. However, they only found this true for adolescents with high SES and the girls present in the study. Therefore, on the contrary, it showed an increase in health inequalities for those with low SES (Buli, B et al., 2021, p.iii116). The data of this study better supports the thesis of individuals with low SES being more susceptible to poor mental health rates when attending college. Students may worry more about the costs for their education and may feel defeated if they see their academic performance does not quite match the desired goals, they may feel defeated. Though other students with high SES have the privilege of not havin to worry as much about financials and can just focus strictly on their academics.
A recent study conducted by researchers from the University of Negrev focused on the socioeconomic inequalities of health and mental health. They examined the relationship among SES, social participation, self-rated health, and mental health, amongst other things. The authors of this study found that self-rated health can be a predictor of mental health and vice versa. If one’s mental health included extended amounts of happiness and optimism, it was found that this was positively related to self-rated health and negatively related to disease and mortality rates (Achduct, N., Sarid, O., 2020, p.7). We can use this information to infer why some people are introverts and some extroverts, and it’s all based on how secure they feel with their mental health and social participation. This study shows that mental health can be mind-over-matter. Therefore, even if one is dealing with their current factors of stress related to SES, their mindset on how they approach those problems can determine the state of their well-being.
Let us examine the mental health of those that live in a similar format as college students, inmates. Prison inmates are already associated with having various mental health problems and a low socioeconomic status. A recent study discovers the relationship between low SES and mental health problems in inmates. Data was collected from the Belgain Nation Survey in 2008 and from Health Profiles of Detainees in 2015. Authors measured mental health by the probability of one have a sleep disorder and the lifetime suicidal attempts. Their data confirmed that having low SES in prison has a deteriorating effect on all indicators of mental health (Hanssens, L. et al., 2016, p.436). Therefore, we can conclude that being in prison in itself, confined within the walls, deteriorates one’s mental health. In comparison to college, perhaps potentially, it is the set up that has an unconscious effect on one’s health, in regards to the dorms, the roommates, the stress of being in college, the food, etc. Despite this, a major factor college students have in common with inmates is their financials. In college one strives to pay for tuition, while as in prison, if posted, one desires for their bail to be paid in full, though this comes in extremely high amounts. The stress that’s involved in these two scenarios are in fact very similar and stem from the same reasons. Consequently, we can identify similarities between the two scenarios and determine the roles low socioeconomic status plays within these environments.
Many factors play a role in one’s health, however, we as a community have to do better and identify potential mental health factors and being more personable with others. We can propose student-led weekly events pertaining to mental health. We can also reach out to the mental health and financial services department of UNC and talk to them regarding other things they can incorporate, especially for students with a low socioeconomic status. In addition, college students should reach out to advising services and any other mental health incorporated program if they are feeling highly stressed and depressive. I believe schools realize that mental health is problem, though I do not think they spend a lot of time finding ways to better support these children. Policies need to be changed, because this could lead to a rise in suicide rates among campuses. In terms of finances, schools should incorporate a range of financial plans, specifically for those that have low SES. I believe this will work to eliminate a lot of stress on college campuses. Along with these solutions, it should be noted that many of college students are transitioning from a non-rigorous high school education and being thrown into a much different curriculum. The transition process for these students should be better explained to students in an effort to allow students grow in college. It is easy to see how socioeconomic status drastically affects our college student society and should be better spread awareness of. Colleges should also do a better job of just understanding the mental health of one and having a more community-based campus. I feel as mental health activities can be put on the back burner and never really emphasized until it is too late.
References:
Achdut, N., & Sarid, O. (2020). Socio-economic status, self-rated health and mental health: The mediation effect of social participation on early-late midlife and older adults. Israel Journal of Health Policy Research, 9(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13584-019-0359-8.
Buli, B., Larm, P., Nilsson, K., & Giannotta, F. (2021). Trends in adolescent mental health problems: Differences by SES and gender. European Journal of Public Health, 31(Supplement_3), iii116–iii117. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckab164.307.
Hanssens, L., Vyncke, V., Steenberghs, E., & Willems, S. (2016). Mental health and SES: A comparative study of the general and prison population in Belgium. European Journal of Public Health, 26(Vol. 26, suppl_1), 436. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckw175.008.
Karimshah et al., (2013), Overcoming adversity of low SES students: A study of strategies for retention Australian Universities’ Review. https://aur.nteu.org.au/.
Featured Image Reference:
Rooney, K., (n.d.). This is why mental health should be a political priority. World Economic Forum. Retrieved March 24, 2022, from https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/01/poverty-mental-health-covid-intervention/.