People often describe their time in university as some of the best years of their life, filled with newfound independence, self-discovery, freedom, traveling, parties, new friendships, and much more. And while this can very much be true for some people, or for some time, university can also present a unique set of mental health challenges.
You are navigating academic pressure, financial concerns, identity, changing friendships, and often your first experience living alone (or with roommates), all while trying to figure out who you are and what you want to do with your life. And, if you’re studying abroad, you run into a whole host of other aspects: adapting to a new culture and language and trying to make new friends and build community. All while still in your late teens and early twenties!
Indeed, research shows that university students experience significant mental health challenges, most often depression, anxiety and loneliness. So, if university isn’t quite the wonderful experience as social media or your parents have made it out to be, don’t worry: you are not alone, and it does not mean you are doing anything wrong. You might just need a bit of extra support.
This blog post thus outlines the most common mental health challenges faced by university students, as well as ways therapy can help you overcome them. First step, however, is to let go of any shame you may have about not having the ‘best time ever’. For many people, life actually improves after your studies are over, these certainly need not be your best years.
So, why can university be so challenging?
1. Academic pressure
Starting with the obvious, university may be the first time you feel that your performance is directly connected to your future success. A grade is suddenly not just a grade, but evidence that you’re intelligent – or not. You’re now expected to do a lot more independent work, and take more exams than you may have previously. And if it does not immediately go well, you may start to doubt whether you’re even on the right path. This is especially difficult if you’re lacking good study skills and habits, which are often not taught in high school or at the start of your higher education. And, if you’re having to work alongside your studies, the pressure may feel even higher due to lack of time and financial worries.
Academic pressure can be particularly high for more perfectionistic students. You may find yourself:
- Procrastinating due to fear of failure
- Spending too much time on assignments
- Comparing yourself to your classmates
- Feeling guilty when resting or not studying
- Interpreting grades as a reflection of your worth
- Spending whole days studying or pulling all-nighters
Academic stress can become a vicious cycle: anxiety leads to avoidance or procrastination, which leads to more stress and time pressure, increasing anxiety further and impacting your performance.
2. Undiagnosed neurodivergence
University is also often a time when undiagnosed neurodivergence, particularly ADHD, can manifest significantly for the first time. You may have done well in high school thanks to your intelligence, external routines and reminders, and the fact that you may not have had to worry about managing your life independently. The increased demands for independent work, time management and study skills can suddenly hit, and you may be wondering if there’s something wrong with you that you suddenly can’t seem to hack it anymore. In this case, it might be useful to do more research, and seek a diagnosis, therapy, or medication.
3. Anxiety, depression and burn-out
University students are dealing with many of the same mental health problems as the wider population, including anxiety and depression. However, the university environment can amplify them due to academic and social demands.
You might experience:
Anxiety: constant worrying, overthinking, panic, social anxiety, perfectionism or social anxiety.
Depression: low mood, exhaustion, loss of motivation, isolation, difficulty concentrating or feeling that nothing really matters.
Burn-out: feeling emotionally and physically exhausted after prolonged academic or personal stress, sometimes accompanied by cynicism, detachment and a sense that you aren’t capable of doing what you used to do.
These problems can also overlap. For example, perfectionism might lead you to overwork, which contributes to exhaustion, which makes you fall behind, which triggers more self-criticism.
4. Loneliness
In university, you may experience the strange sensation of ‘feeling alone among people’. You may be surrounded with classmates, housemates and ‘party friends’, without feeling emotionally close to any of them. This can be especially challenging at the start of your studies, and amplified if you’re studying abroad.
Sometimes, this new environment can either trigger or worsen pre-existing social anxiety: you might desperately want to connect with others, but find yourself overthinking every social interaction, having physical symptoms of stress prior to events, which makes it very difficult to actually enjoy socializing. And if you can’t enjoy it, it makes sense you might start avoiding social events, which isolates you further and makes the anxiety worse.
5. Becoming an adult
As university often coincides with your late teens and early 20s, it’s also one of the greatest periods of identity development. For some, university is the first opportunity to explore aspects of themselves that were difficult to express at home, including sexuality, gender, relationships and values. You may be wondering:
- What do I actually want from my future?
- Do I even like what I’m studying? And what opportunities will it give me in the future?
- How do I differ from my family?
- What kind of relationships do I want to have?
Some people find this easy to figure out, and very rewarding at that. But for others, it can raise even more questions and doubts, leading to anxiety and decision paralysis.
So, how can therapy help?
Okay, we’ve outlined just how difficult this time in your life can be. But what to do?
It’s natural that you might find it difficult to cope on your own. And this is where therapy can be such a valuable tool, especially if your therapist specializes in university students and can truly understand where you’re coming from.
There is no specific type of therapy that is best for university students – as we saw before, the challenges can very much depend on the individual at hand. Below are three approaches that might be helpful for you:
1. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
CBT focuses on the relationship between your thoughts, emotions and behaviors. The idea isn’t that your thoughts are necessarily “wrong”, but that certain patterns can cause and/or worsen your difficulties.
For who?
CBT can be particularly useful if you tend to get stuck in cycles of overthinking, avoidance, self-criticism or worry. It can be a good fit for people who appreciate a relatively practical and structured approach and want to learn concrete psychological skills.
2. Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)
ACT takes a somewhat different approach. Rather than trying to eliminate every uncomfortable thought or emotion, ACT focuses on developing psychological flexibility: the ability to experience difficult thoughts and feelings while still doing things that matter to you.
For who?
ACT can be a good fit if trying to get rid of the things that cause you distress is not realistic. It’s particularly helpful for those who have string values and strive to act in accordance with them, for people who value acceptance, mindfulness, and reducing avoidance in their lives.
3. Schema therapy
Schema Therapy looks a little deeper. Rather than focusing only on what is happening right now, it explores longstanding patterns (called schemas) in how you see yourself, other people and the world.
For who?
Schema Therapy can be particularly useful if you notice that the same patterns keep repeating, even when you understand intellectually that they aren’t helpful: relationship difficulties, low self-esteem, perfectionism, chronic shame, and attachment difficulties, to name a few.
In short, university can be a challenging time, and there’s no shame in admitting you’re struggling, and seeking the help you deserve.