University is the most growing and exciting phase of the student life. A student opens up to new adventures and possibilities during university time. At the same time attending university and its studies can be a severe stress for many students. Additionally, university is the phase of life where most of the students separate from their families and native places.
In this context, many university students experience the first onset of mental health and substance use problems or an exacerbation of their symptoms. Given the uniqueness of university students, there is a need to outline critical issues to consider when working with this population.
Mental health problems are very common among university students. This may be due to the fact that attending university corresponds to a challenging time for many traditional and non-traditional undergraduate students. Traditional university students start university after completing high school, are typically younger, depend on parents for financial support, and do not work or work part-time.
In addition to stress related to academic load, these students may have to face the task of taking on more adult-like responsibilities without having yet mastered the skills and cognitive maturity of adulthood. For example, many traditional university students may face potentially stressful experiences for the first time including working, being in a significant relationship that may lead to marriage, or having housemates with cultures and belief systems different from their own.
The big picture
Health is the foremost priority for every living being. Health issues are the key problem faced for the students. Moreover, in the situation of this pandemic Covid, it affects not only the lifestyle of a common man but also it affects the student life in terms of study as well as their health. There are a lot of reasons why students have health problems, among them are stress, poor nutrition, as well as lack of sleep and overwork.
As a result of stressful events in university several health issues can occur. Here are health-related issues, which occurs more often in students:
Insomnia
Insomnia is a common sleep disorder that can make it hard to fall asleep, hard to stay asleep, or cause you to wake up too early and not be able to get back to sleep. You may still feel tired when you wake up. Common causes of insomnia include stress, an irregular sleep schedule, poor sleeping habits, mental health disorders like anxiety and depression, physical illnesses and pain, medications, neurological problems, and specific sleep disorders.
Insomnia can be diagnosed by exercise and mental well-being programmes.
Eye strain
Most of the students suffer from Eye strain problems. One of the most frequent causes of headaches associated with eye issues is eye strain. Overusing the muscles involved in vision focus can lead to eye strain and, subsequently, headaches. Any type of activity that causes you to focus your eyes for extended periods of time can lead to eye strain.
A common cause of eye strain is staring at a computer or phone screen for too long. If you spend a lot of time looking at a screen, it is helpful to take regular breaks every hour or two.
Typical symptoms of eye strain include:
- Blurred vision
- Watery eyes
- Sensitivity to light
- Headaches
Nearsightedness (myopia)
Nearsightedness (myopia) is a common vision condition in which you can see objects near to you clearly, but objects farther away are blurry. It occurs when the shape of your eye causes light rays to bend (refract) incorrectly, focusing images in front of your retina instead of on your retina.
The usual treatment of nearsightedness is to improve vision by helping focus light on the retina through the use of corrective lenses or refractive surgery.
- Laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK)
- Laser-assisted subepithelial keratectomy (LASEK)
- Photorefractive keratectomy (PRK).
Sprain
A sprain is an injury to a ligament caused by tearing of the fibres of the ligament. The ligament can have a partial tear, or it can be completely torn apart. Ankle sprains are the most common type of sprain. Wrist, knee and thumb sprains are also common. Sprained ligaments often swell rapidly and are painful.
The treatment of the sprain include
- Rest. Avoid activities that cause pain, swelling or discomfort.
- Ice. Even if you’re seeking medical help, ice the area immediately.
- Compression. To help stop swelling, compress the area with an elastic bandage until the swelling stops.
- Elevation. This means raising the sore body part above the level of your heart.
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder that can affect a child’s daily life routine and success at school and career.
Parents always desire to make their child special and forward in study, sport and every aspect of their life. However, according to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention there are 6.1 million children who are estimated to have been diagnosed with ADHD. Furthermore, ADHD is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders of childhood. Moreover, there are plenty of rumours swirling around the people. The notion of rumours is that ADHD is not a medical condition but the result of toxic parenting, lack of motivation in the child.
Symptoms of Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can differ as per order of the level of disorder. However, the common symptoms which appear in most of child is,
Here are few common symptoms of ADHD:
- Forgetfulness
- Trouble with organisation
- Daydreaming
- Lack of focus
- Trouble following instructions
- Avoiding tasks that require extended mental effort
- Unfinished tasks
- Trouble playing quietly
- Fidgeting
- Emotional turmoil
- Interrupting and other self-focused behaviour
Helen Baumeister did her degree in psychology at the University of Hertfordshire. She is interested in mental health, wellness, and lifestyle.
