It’s easy to see why college-aged students would be vulnerable to mental health troubles. Beyond the effects of hormones and our still-developing brains, college is the first time many people are away from their families and forced to confront their futures. In an age of climate change, political upheaval, and unrest all over the globe, looking ahead may cause more dread than excitement. Interestingly, another factor contributing to increased mental health issues in our generation may seem counterintuitive: the growing destigmatization of discussing these very struggles.
In college, especially during midterm and final seasons, it's all too common to hear or make comments about suicide or depression. For years, doctors and psychologists have been warning against making jokes about mental health, but their warnings often fall on deaf ears. Nowadays, many believe that these jokes actually desensitize us to the alarming “punchlines” so much that the emotional effects are virtually nonexistent. But research has proved that to be false. Studies show that making those types of jokes has been linked to an increase in suicidal ideation not only for the person making them but also for the people listening. Our attempts to justify these jokes don’t change the real effects they can have on our psyche, likely putting us in an even worse headspace than we were in before.
But these jokes represent only a small part of a larger problem in our generation: fixing mental health issues just isn’t a priority for us. Most college students do not prioritize any aspect of their well-being — physical, emotional or mental. This neglect takes many forms, but some may resonate for everyone, including not prioritizing sleep, skipping meals or not eating healthy foods, and failing to balance social life and schoolwork. Many of these habits are often dismissed as part of the charm of being young and in college. I frequently hear myself saying, “When else am I going to be able to go out with my closest friends this easily?” or “This is just what college life is like.” While it's true that the memories we make in college can stay with us forever, so can the consequences of the choices we make during this time. As a population, college students are susceptible to many issues: 20% could be diagnosed with alcohol use disorders, roughly 50% have sleep disorders and up to 75% have experienced prolonged stress. While in the moment, it may be comforting to joke with your friend about how little sleep you got last night or how much stress you feel, these stack up to take a toll on your health.
I do not mean to dissuade you from going out or make you feel scared when you’re stressed out. At such an academically rigorous school like Brown, it's safe to say that if you never feel the heat, you likely aren’t challenging yourself enough. But it's important to look at trends in your behavior and recognize how they may harm you in the long run. Living away from home isn’t just about having no rules and the freedom to go wherever you want; it also means taking on the responsibility for your own health and safety. College is about finding a work-life balance, not a time to swing on the pendulum between the two extremes of working and playing hard for four years. We all want to leave college with a degree, lifelong friendships, and mental toughness, not a drinking problem, Ambien dependency, and undiagnosed mental illnesses. There are a lot of uncertainties in our future, and the best thing we can do now is keep our mental health in check.
Mary O’Riordan ’27 can be reached at mary_oriordan@brown.edu. Please send responses to this opinion to letters@browndailyherald.com and other op-eds to opinions@browndailyherald.com.
