College students are most stressed over uncertainty regarding their future, a Taiwan Counseling Psychologist Union poll showed, but only 7.5 percent have taken advantage of mental health leave regulations, a professor said yesterday.
It is common for parents to advise their at-home children that they will “figure out what they want in a career when they grow up,” but uncertainty is the prime source of stress for students, the group said.
National Taiwan University, National Cheng Kung University and National Taiwan Normal University are among the universities that have begun to offer three to five days of mental health leave per semester, as self-harm and suicidal behavior due to stress has increased, it said.
Photo: CNA
Senior students had the highest levels of self-reported stress, with the top factor being “academic performance” and “planning,” the survey showed.
“Planning” was also the prime source of stress for all college students, it showed.
Chen Po-lin (陳柏霖), a professor in National Taipei University of Education’s Department of Psychology and Counseling, said that only 7.5 percent of the survey’s respondents reported having taken mental health leave.
The rate was lowest among freshman students and increased in line with time spent at university, with the rate among senior students 7.68 percent, Chen said.
Many students hesitate when considering a graduate degree, joining the workforce or going abroad to study or work, he said.
Young adults who are overprotected by their family are more likely to feel unprepared for a career, and the stress is compounded by the financial burden fresh graduates face due to high rents and low salaries in Taiwan, he said.
Taiwan Association of Clinical Psychology executive director Teng Min-hung (鄧閔鴻), who is a professor in National Chung Cheng University’s Department of Psychology and director of the institution’s counseling center, said that 8 to 9 percent of students at the university showed signs of depression this year, up from 6 percent 10 years ago.
The uptrend is noticeable at other colleges as well, Teng said.
High schools should have a system to forward information about students who are frequent visitors to counselors’ offices, as many of them would continue to use the services at college, he said, adding that it would help universities identify students in need of counseling services and provide timely support instead of waiting for them to visit.
The survey was conducted via an online questionnaire from June to October. It garnered 3,264 valid responses from universities nationwide, with most respondents being senior students, accounting for 22.7 percent.
Twenty percent were other undergraduate students, while graduate students accounted for the smallest portion at 9.6 percent.
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