Take a seat in the nearest chair. Allow your heavy eyes to close. Deeply inhale, then exhale. Step back from the ruckus that is your University life and scrupulously distinguish between those situations that are controllable and those that are fundamentally beyond your reach. Cater your responses accordingly, and they will lead to developed and habitual mental health practices that will improve the quality of your student life.
Such strategies could be especially appropriate now that the stress of midterms, internship applications and upcoming summer jobs are bearing down on University students. In particular, the ongoing observation of Mental Health Week reminds us that our mental health requires as much attention as our physical well-being. In fact, the psychological health of a student on Grounds - as can be expected on a large college campus - is directly related to that individual's academic and social success. Although many students apply their own, unique methods to achieve that goal, they can also maintain their mental fitness by taking advantage of Student Health's Counseling and Psychological Services.
The purpose of CAPS is to serve the mental health needs of members of the University community by providing consultation, education and outreach, among other services, according to its Web site. With this goal in mind, CAPS works with about 9 percent of the University population yearly. Although this figure is common for a college of this size, the suicide rate at the University is impressively low, standing at 0.25 suicides per year, CAPS Director Russ Federman said. This rate is far below the national average of 1.5 suicides per year, he said, and the difference can be attributed to the nature of our student body.
Most University students are "very achievement-oriented and are connected to their future," Federman said, and as a result, they may be less inclined to commit suicide.
Ultimately, some students are still deemed to need help; how they get to this point varies. Some CAPS participants are referred by academic deans, resident staff members or other members of the University community. Others are referred when they violate a code of the University Judiciary Committee. When referred, these students have to be seen for at least an assessment. One of the biggest source of program participants, however, is self-referrals, as 60 percent of the students admitted to the program are voluntary participants. Such a phenomenon is yet another example of how the student body is able to seek help when most needed, Federman said.
Students who do think they need such help have many options for reaching out to CAPS. For example, they can call in for a scheduled intake or simply walk into the CAPS office at Student Health. Walk-in hours on weekdays run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; on weekends or during after-hours, a student seeking help can call the hotline at (434) 972-7004 if need is immediate and cannot be addressed at a later time.
Once they are in touch with CAPS, students receive counseling services for free from a number of trained and well seasoned professionals, including 12 psychotherapists, APA-accredited interns and psychology post-doctoral staff members. These professionals are legally obligated to maintain the confidentiality of counseled students, and information about those students is even kept on a protected server. Nevertheless, if a student is tax-dependent and CAPS professionals have substantial reason to believe he may harm himself, his parents will be contacted. But such situations are rare, Federman said.
Not all students may need professional help, but they can still take some steps to maintain mental health during the stress of midterm season.
"Do your best to get to sleep by midnight," Federman said. "Remember that sleep deprivation undermines your ability to perform ... A lot of the stress reduction during this time and at any time of the year, comes down to healthy living, good diet and exercise."
Still, devoting enough time to this healthy lifestyle can be challenging, especially when it is just one part of a long and at times overwhelming 'to-do' lists that dictate students' schedules. This particular item, though, is one that affects all others because it promotes higher levels of productivity and allows individuals to better enjoy their lives.
Third-year College student Reginald Benbow tries to take advantage of these benefits by putting aside time for his favorite stress-reducing activities. Benbow devotes three times a week to reading, going out and watching movies, he said.
Otherwise, he certainly has a busy schedule of responsibilities, committing at least 10 hours a week among several activities, including the University Judiciary Committee, the Jefferson Literary and Debating Society, the Peer Advisor Program, Brothers United Celebrating Knowledge and Success and Minority Squared. A planned and scheduled life, therefore, helps keep his stress at a manageable level, he said. Stressed-out students who adopt similar schedules for planning and personal time outside of school and extracurriculars can similarly benefit and develop healthy states of mind, he said. For those students, he recommended that a process of trial and error is the best way to discover their own personal methods of de-stressing.
And schedules are not the only methods through which students can reduce their stress levels.
"Talking with my family members ... they keep me grounded," Benbow said.
These family members have even given him inspiration for some of his stress-relief techniques.
"My mother has always been an avid reader; She always takes time for herself," he said, adding that his own reading habits prevent him from becoming overwhelmed and allow him to thrive both academically and socially even as he holds several leadership positions.
First-year College student Catherine Winslow also manages a busy and potentially stressful schedule, as she works with the Blue Ridge Mountain Rescue Group for 2-5 hours a week, works part-time for the phone-a-thon and is an Emergency Medical Technician with the Scottsville Volunteer Rescue Squad. With her busy life and the type of work she undertakes, she finds it easier to find her down time outside.
"What works best for me is a combination of alone time, physical activity and being around people who can make me laugh and enjoy myself," she said.
Her own recommendation for busy students was for them to do what they could to enjoy the great outdoors, as well.
Such stress-relief procedures are important to the life of any University student. For those who may have more difficulty combating these stresses on their own, however, help is always available.\n"Don't be afraid to seek out help and counseling from CAPS," Benbow said. "From what I've seen, people respond pretty well to what CAPS provides because they help you find your own solution to your problems"
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