Mental Health in some aspects is more important than physical health. In fact - I don’t think you can have the one without the other. According to Dr. Brock Chisholm, the first Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), as he famously stated, “without mental health there can be no true physical health”. But unfortunately, for our current generation of government and leading figures, they have a bad habit of sweeping mental health issues under the rug with hardly a second glance. As a result, people are essentially taught to associate mental health and mental illness with violence, extremism, lack of education, lack of money and unstable home lives. This associated stigmatism towards mental health is absolutely unacceptable.

 

Although acceptance toward anti-depressant medication, appointments with counselors and being open with one’s feelings is on a substantial rise, more often than not, people experiencing symptoms of depression, anxiety, ADHD or other similar disabilities and disorders typically resort to bottling up their feelings rather than finding ways to help themselves. In fact, according to the American Psychological Association, “Two-thirds of college students who are struggling with some form of mental-health ailments do not seek out the help they need to take care of their emotional well-being, often leading to serious consequences”.

​

Many college students have experienced feelings of homesickness, extreme sadness, stress or helplessness at one point or another. However, this does not mean those students suffer from clinical depression or clinical anxiety disorder and need to be diagnosed with mental health illness. However, it does not mean that students can just smile, ignore their feelings and move on - students need the tools to express their struggles and emotions regularly. Regardless of whether or not one has a diagnosed mental health disorder/disability or is just feeling overwhelmed and stressed, everyone needs a break now and then.

​

It is not only up to the counselors to encourage the use of campus mental health services, but that responsibility also falls to all students, student organizations and professors. The Personal Counseling office here at Penn State Behrend welcomes all students. They embrace diversity and the inclusiveness of individuals regardless of their gender, race, sexual orientation, cultural and religious backgrounds, and abilities.