The number of students reporting mental health issues is rising. In fact, it is actually ten times what it was ten years ago. We hear and read about this on a regular basis, young people engaging in high-risk behavior or students and unemployed people being frustrated and complaining about their futures and dreams that may not come true. Talking about Mental Health to this date, in Ireland, there is still very limited knowledge of young people and students regarding their mental health. However, we know that one in five of them is distressed to a very significant degree, at any given point during their time at college. Yet very few of these people know what contributes to their distress or what might help them to face and even overcome those difficulties.
The Circular went out to talk to students on the Griffith College Dublin campus to see what students actually know about Mental Health and what they think about it.
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Mental Health difficulties emerge and peak in the late teens and early 20s, making this time in young adolescence’s lives a very vulnerable one. Being young in Ireland today is a much more complex experience than the media suggests. Facing problem drinking, an acute awareness of figuring out what just happens and financial stress is all part of the process of becoming a grown up. Yet the number one health issue, not only for young people, is their mental health. It is defined as a state of well-being where the individual
For anyone suffering from mental health or feeling the urge to talk to someone, there is free consultation on the Griffith College Campus. Professional counselors are available to any student suffering or experiencing personal difficulties. It is free of charge and completely confidential. Email counselling@griffith.ie or text/call 0851521511. The service operates from 09:30 am to 99:00 pm on a Monday to Friday throughout the semester. There is also an emergency contact number (086 818 2370).
