Conditions common among University Students

Physical Indicators - changes in appearance and hygiene,  excessive sleeping, changes in eating patterns, changes in energy level, appearance of cuts or bruises,use of drugs
Academic indicators: missing assignments and exams, sleeping in classes, repeated absences
Emotional indicators - changes in mood like being distressed/unhappy/angry, sobbing, social withdrawal, disoriented behaviour, changed behaviour in relationships, loss of a family member or close friend.

When these warning signs are ignored, they lead to anxiety which is the top present concern and affects 41% of students, followed by depression which affects 36% of students. Students may also face conditions that affect their sleep and eating patterns.

Why your child might be dealing with anxiety:

University students are faced with pressure to perform well academically, to meet deadlines on time, and to strike work life balance.

Signs and symptoms to look out for:

This stems from excessively worrying about several things for a duration of at least 6 months. Some of the symptoms are:

• Restlessness
• Physical tension
• Irritability
• Trouble concentrating.

What you can do: Rather than suppressing your child’s thoughts or distracting them, parents can help them by providing them the comfort to express their thoughts, validating their emotions, and helping them practice deep breathing exercises

Social causes for Anxiety: University students commonly face social anxiety due to public speaking and presentations, coming out of their bubble to meet new people, and fear of being judged by their peers. The way this manifests is usually through:

• overthinking that they will “mess it”
• getting anxious prior to the situation
• staying quiet in social interactions
• Physical symptoms like increased heart rate, sweating, and blushing

What you can do: The way parents can help is by being more understanding when they confront those situations, helping them manage their thoughts rationally, and guiding them about meditation techniques to help manage their physical symptoms.

Sometimes anxiety manifests itself in the form of repetitive thoughts and patterns. Giving too much attention/meaning to unwanted thoughts can lead to obsessions and students tend to engage in reassuring behaviours to get over that thought.

Signs to look out for:

• Being too busy in their thoughts,
• Daydreaming in classes,
• Being inattentive,
• Having difficulty in concentrating on their work.

What you can do: Parents can help their children by identifying the triggers which bring about anxiety and giving them the comfort to openly talk about their fears.

Why your child might be Depressed: University students are often faced with depression due to being overwhelmed about transitioning, living away from home, struggling with grades, financial constraints, and uncertainty about the future.

What does Depression look like?

Even though we commonly confuse it with being sad, some of the major symptoms include:

• Changes in appetite,
• Falling energy levels,
• Missing out on classes,
• Underperforming academically,
• A low mood for more than 2 weeks,
• Feelings of loneliness, worthlessness, helplessness
• Disturbances in maintaining relationships with their friends and family
• Disturbances with sleep (some will sleep a lot, some may not sleep)

What you can do: Parents can encourage their children to seek help from the campus counselor, reaching out to them time and again, providing them a safe outlet to vent, and assuring them that they are worthy of affection even if they have ‘messed up’.

Changes in Sleeping Patterns:

College students are often faced with insomnia i.e. difficulty falling asleep which is caused by a number of factors like

• Adapting to routine initially
• Pressure of meeting deadlines
• Academic stress,
• Over-dependence on caffeine

The way this manifests is through

• Poor work performance
• Sleeping at odd hours or during classes
• Difficulty in concentration
• Agitated and irritable mood

What can you do: The way parents can help with this is through encouraging them to form a routine, not to work at late hours of night, eating healthy, incorporating some form of physical activity, and providing them with a secluded physical space.

Changes in Eating Patterns and the impact of Appearance Concerns on Students:

Eating disorders can develop among college students due to a negative image/dissatisfaction about their body, peer pressure to look a certain way, poor self esteem or high academic stress.

In an attempt to lose weight, they will engage in:

• dietary restrictions
• starving/fasting
• inducing vomiting

Arising under conditions of guilt and stress, a subtype of students with eating conditions will resort to eating a huge amount of food.

What you can do: While neither extremes are healthy, parents can help their children while they are going through this phase by monitoring their eating habits, considering the factors that have influenced their body image and most importantly not associating their child’s worth just with their looks/physical appearance. Parents can help their child find value in other aspects of their personality/likes/interests/hobbies, and encourage them to BE HEALTHY instead of LOOKING a certain way, avoid labelling or shaming them (fat or skinny), giving them thoughtful compliments on their personality, and refraining from commenting on their weight.

Awareness around Addiction and Substance Use: College students resort to substances out of:

• Curiosity,
• Peer pressure
• High workload
• The need to find an ‘escape’ from their troubles

What you can do: Parents can help them through encouraging them to take medical help for addiction and engaging in healthier activities for distracting their mind like yoga or meditation.

In rare cases, when these symptoms and conditions are ignored, students may resort to self harm and suicidal thoughts. In case of this, CAPS helpline is available for urgent help from our counselors.