adminDr Mazvita Machinga
What is the best advice I can give my student?
It’s a big transition, starting classes at university and college, the transition to adulthood.
These days many parents’ desire is to see their children progressing to college and university level.
Even adults are also going back to university and colleges to improve their educational qualifications.
This is all done in good faith and it is all in order, moving with the time so as to say. While there are many benefits and pleasures in academic enhancement, poor mental health is a major issue in this.
Going away to college for the first time is both exciting and scary, I have seen people who have major mental breakdown, sometimes even physical breakdown because they are not taking of themselves during such potential stress invoking transition period.
This article helps highlight on common mental health issues for college and university students, where and when to seek help. If left unaddressed, problematic mental health issues that student meet at the transition period can become debilitating and can negatively impact the rest of their lives.
Any major life transition comes with its challenges and for our children transitioning from high school to university or college of higher learning may be more than just stressful; it can trigger serious mental health issues.
How are you parents and guardians preparing your children for higher learning?
Isn’t it that a huge chunk of problems that people have in their adulthood starts from this stage of life?
If so what are you doing as a parent to prepare your child for higher learning?
This article is a response to a question that a client asked me during a psychotherapy session, “What can I do to help my child as they are going to university. I want him to go but I am also scared about if he will manage to stand up for himself. What do I need to tell my child”. A very important concern indeed.
There are various reasons for students having breakdowns when they join institutions of higher learning.
These range from grappling to adjust to the needs of the new environment, seeing the unexpected, workload increase, meeting new people, homesickness, financial problems, inadequate coping/problem solving techniques and many more.
So as parents it is important to prepare your children for increased personal freedom, increased responsibility, increased demand for time management, problem solving techniques, uncaring academic environments, finding and connecting to peers, relationship and interpersonal issues.
All these, if not handled well, may cause mental health problems such as general anxiety disorder, panic attacks, depression, insomnia, suicidality, substance abuse and engaging in high-risk sexual activities.
Help your child be prepared for anything but not to be part of everything, especially those things that are destructive and distractive to their learning process.
It is important to note that, for some, college environments offer great opportunity for high-risk behaviours, such as unsafe sex, multiple partnerships and substance abuse.
Below are important tips to help students adjust and reduce the risk of having a mental breakdown.
For parents
Encourage a healthy daily routine
Foster responsible independence and accountability
Help them make academics their priority
Help your son/daughter learn from mistakes
Help them know campus resources
For students
Go to class
Have realistic expectations
Develop a healthy, daily routine
Explore and make connections to peers and extramural clubs at the school
Be assertive and persistent
Understand the academic demands
Lastly, if you find that you’ve developed a mental health crisis or challenge talking about your problems with someone close to you or let them help you seek professional help
Dr Mazvita Machinga Ph.D. is a qualified Psychotherapist in Mutare who offers professional counseling and psychotherapy. For more information and help contact [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>, or call 0771 754 519.
Online Reporter