Mental Health Awareness

By: Jaelin Thomas, Marilee Hernandez, Emanuele Serra, Sofia Salerno

Photograph taken by Maya Underworld

The anxiety and stress a Miami Dade College student experiences arrives way before midterms do. The halfway mark in the semester is more of an awakening that students are put under immense amounts of pressure to succeed and is less like an accomplishment that they're almost done with the semester.

It is vital that at MDC mental health is not something that can be ignored or “pushed to the side”, especially when being a student is not the only thing on their plate. They balance multiple courses, jobs and internships, and family responsibilities when they get home. Mental health needs to be prioritized in order to carry on with their day to day. However, students may not always know how accessible resources for help are. MDC has increased the number of wellness programs available on and off campus to accommodate all students.

Infographic by Sofia Salerno

To put into perspective how relevant the issues of mental health and stress are, Michelle Barreras, a student at MDC, took the time to explain how stress and mental health have impacted her through her time in college. She says that when taking multiple courses, it is very easy for them to build up on each other, which results in it becoming difficult to keep up without falling behind on other classes. As tests, midterms, and finals near, she feels she has to move at an accelerated pace with no time to breathe or take breaks. 

In order to help her case, she’s come to realize that there are times where you have to pause instead of adding more to your stress. By taking an hour off all her screens, it helped her clear her mental state and minimize having to do everything last minute or at a fast pace. After taking off this hour of screen time, she felt more motivation to study for at least an hour every day. Being able to ask for help during the most stressful times has also impacted how she handles difficult situations. Michelle has encountered moments where she’s had trouble with assignments for her courses and rather than adding more to her stress, she used MDC’s tutoring and counselling services to help her succeed in her assignments. This experience not only taught her that a tutor was there to help whenever she needed, but that getting help at MDC is made simple so that you can avoid getting to a point that may have an overwhelming impact on your mental health. 

This isn’t just her story, but a trend all across the nation. It was shown that over 60% of American college students experienced excessive levels of stress and anxiety during the previous year, as stated by the American College Health Association. If we dive into MDC statistics, over 70% of students are working while taking courses, putting more strain and stress onto them.

Miami Dade College has also enhanced their Student Wellness Program which offers a plethora of options for students in need of help and assistance. They have access to virtual therapy, counselors on all campuses, and Mantra Health to help students with mental health monitoring. These services can be found on the Student Wellness website.  

For students struggling with more than they can deal with, MDC partners with ConnectNow and pushes for students to get in touch with the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline in an urgent situation.

Overall, help is in arms reach at Miami Dade College, it’s all about taking the step to help yourself or someone close to you. Stress is not something you have to face alone. College life is all about mental health and MDC is here to make your college days enjoyable and easier. 

MDC student taking the time to explore the programs Miami Dade College offers for student wellness. Photographed by Marilee Hernandez.