Mental health at university

We tend to imagine university as a time of freedom. Yet across countries, the WHO World Mental Health International College Student survey found that around one in three first-year students had experienced a common mental disorder in the past year. Closer to home, Malaysia's 2022 National Health and Morbidity Survey found that one in four adolescents lives with depression. Because mental health shapes how we learn, and whether we finish our degrees, this matters.

How university affects mental health

The move from school to university brings its own pressures: a heavier workload, harder classes, a changed environment and real uncertainty about the future. Together these can give rise to a range of mental health difficulties.

Students also tend to have a limited understanding of mental health and low awareness of the services available to them, so they don't reach out when they need to. Knowing the signs is a good place to start.

Signs and symptoms to watch for

Anxiety, depression and stress are among the most common challenges students face. These signs may suggest you're struggling:

• Difficulty concentrating in lectures
• Poor decision-making
• Pulling away from classmates and friends
• Low motivation to attend classes or study
• Losing interest in things you used to enjoy
• Slipping academic performance
• Feeling hopeless about life after university

Supporting your mental health

If you've experienced one or more of these for more than two weeks, it's time to reach out for help. That isn't weakness, and it doesn't mean you aren't trying hard enough, mental health is as real as physical health, and the earlier you address it, the easier it is to turn around.