Difficulties with mental health and college often go hand in hand. Depression affects close to half of college students in some surveys, and anxiety rates are also high among student populations.[1]
When you find it hard to juggle everything college demands, it can feel like proof you’re not cut out for school anymore. But in most cases, the difficulties are a sign that you need to make some changes, and that some extra support could help. This page will cover:
Transitioning from high school to college asks a lot of you. Researchers who study student mental health describe multiple pressures stacking on top of one another, with academic workload, financial stress, poor sleep, and social isolation all hitting at the same time.[1]
That mix is part of why depression and anxiety appear so often on college campuses. One study conducted during a stretch of remote learning found that more than 60 percent of students screened positive for possible depression, and over half for possible anxiety. Those symptoms also predicted how students rated their own academic performance.[2]
Your mental health and academic performance are more connected than they might seem. One study followed undergraduates for four years. It found that students whose mental health was poor in their first semester of college were more likely to have academic difficulties for the rest of their time in school. This was true even after accounting for:[3]
Depression can negatively affect concentration and motivation, and that feeds through into grades. For example, one study of college students found that depressive symptoms explained a meaningful share of the link between attention difficulties and lower academic performance.[4]
The demands college puts on you can weigh heavily on even the most capable student. When those demands pile up, it can come out as:
This can be hard to see in yourself or someone you care about, but it’s a predictable reaction to real stress. Recognizing what’s happening is usually the first step toward getting help, instead of gritting your teeth and trying to push through it alone.
Academic stress and burnout aren’t the same thing, even though people often use the words interchangeably. Stress is your body’s short-term response to a hard exam or a looming deadline. Burnout is what happens when that stress doesn’t let up. It’s a longer-term state of exhaustion, cynicism, and a nagging sense that nothing you do is good enough.[5]
In one large study of more than 22,000 college students, roughly six in ten met the criteria for academic burnout. Burnout scores tended to climb the longer students stayed in school, and didn’t ease as students got more used to college life.[5]
Burnout is also closely tied to psychological distress. One study of first-year students found that psychological distress affected more than a quarter. That’s at a time when the transition from home to campus is steep, and the workload can be a lot to handle.[6]
Burnout doesn’t always look like exhaustion or a short fuse. It can be:
If this sounds like your current situation, you can do a few things to try and improve your situation. A consistent sleep schedule comes first. Even when it’s tempting to stay up late studying or hanging out with friends, going to bed and waking up at similar times will help you get the rest you need to manage burnout.
It’s also worth developing a study schedule that works for you, not against you. While it might seem most productive to charge through hour after hour of studying, it often works better to take regular breaks.
If you’ve been cramming a lot lately, try studying in 30- to 45-minute chunks followed by a 10- to 15-minute break. Getting up, grabbing a drink or a snack, and moving your body can give your mind the pause it needs to come back to work in a more productive state.
You might find that your professors are more understanding than you give them credit for. Being open and frank about your situation can, at the very least, help them understand what’s happening and the difficulties you’re having. Ideally, this will open the door to flexibility on assignments or exams.
While it can be hard to reach out, an email before a deadline will usually be better received than an explanation about why you missed it. You don’t have to tell them everything that’s going on, but sharing what you’re ready to share can really help.
None of these practices fix burnout on their own, but they’re ways to potentially slow it down. This can give you time to find proper support before exhaustion turns into something bigger.
Mission Prep is here to help you or your loved one take the next steps towards an improved mental well-being.
For a lot of students, staying enrolled is possible once the right treatment and support are in place. That might include:
What you need will depend on your situation, but a combination may be helpful.
You can get academic accommodations for conditions like depression and anxiety, as well as for physical or learning disabilities. Research on students with psychiatric conditions consistently finds they’re managing more on top of the same coursework as their peers. Campus supports exist, not as a backup plan, but as a recognition of that extra pressure.[7]
The accommodations available depend on various factors, including your specific needs and what the school offers. You might get:
Peer coaching programs, which use trained student coaches to help you manage the academic side of a mental health condition, also show promise for keeping students on track toward their degree.[8]
Here’s what might surprise you: needing this kind of support is common. Even so, many students who could benefit from assistance on campus never seek it out.
In one large international survey, fewer than one in four first-year students said they’d definitely seek help for a future emotional problem. The top reasons weren’t logistical. Students said they’d rather handle it alone or talk to friends instead.[9]
Students who are already living with depression report more roadblocks than students without it.[10] Even students who’ve used mental health services before still report facing barriers.
This is a good reminder that wanting support and being unsure about how to access it are two different problems, but both issues can be addressed and managed.[11]
Sometimes support at college still isn’t enough, and that’s okay. For some students, a leave of absence is the right decision while they get the help they need.
In one set of interviews, most medical students who took an unplanned leave for mental health reasons described the lead-up as the hardest part. They talked about:
Looking back, however, those same students described the leave of absence as helpful, and their eventual return as far less stressful than they’d feared.[12]
A leave of absence is different from a full college withdrawal. At most schools, your enrollment status is preserved, and there’s a clear pathway back while giving you time to get mental health treatment before returning to coursework.
Before deciding, it helps to talk with your academic advisor or a campus counselor. Ask them what a leave would mean for your financial aid, housing, and timeline to graduate, as these details vary by school. It also helps to ask what documentation you need to return, too, so you’re not scrambling to figure it out while you’re trying to focus on feeling better.
If you’re weighing this decision, you don’t have to make it alone, and you don’t have to make it all at once, either. Talking it through with a therapist, a trusted friend or family member, or an advisor can help you identify what you most need help with right now.
Mission Prep provides treatment for teens experiencing various mental health conditions. Mental Health support is a phone call away – call 866-901-4047 to learn about your treatment options.
See our residences in Southern California’s Los Angeles & San Diego areas.
View our facilities in Loudoun County, VA within the DC metro area.
You’ve been trying to do something difficult, often without enough support in place. That difficulty says nothing about your intelligence, work ethic, ability as a student, or your future.
If you’re struggling with mental health issues, support is available. At Mission Prep Teen Treatment, we offer a variety of treatment programs and use evidence-based therapeutic approaches and innovative interventions to foster sustainable change.
Whether you could benefit from residential treatment at one of our locations in California or Virginia, or something more flexible like an outpatient mental health program or virtual telehealth to treat your mental health concerns, our team can help.
Mission Prep Teen Treatment accepts insurance and is in-network with most major providers. We are happy to help you check your insurance coverage for mental health care.
If mental health and college are starting to feel incompatible, we’re here to help when you’re ready. Contact us online or call 866-901-4047 to speak with a caring member of our team who can answer any questions you might have. Reach out for a free, no-obligation conversation.
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