The Current | Vol. 32 Issue 1

May 25 2021 | nsucurrent.nova.edu 14 Health & Wellness The college mental health crisis Alexander Martinie Opinions Editor Research shows that college students are experiencing higher rates of stress and psychopathology than ever before. The American Psychological Association reported in a 2018 survey of college counseling center directors that 95% of those surveyed agreed that “the number of students with significant psychological problems is a growing concern in their center or on campus.” Anxiety and stress are the main concern amongst campus mental health professionals, followed by depression, then relationship problems. An important part of dealing with mental health on campus is to utilize the on-campus resources for mental health. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), “On-campus health clinics and counseling offices offer services for dealing with everyday concerns… On-campus resources are a good place to start when you first develop a mental health problem, but they probably won’t be able to provide long-term help. The counselors can help you find a long-term therapist or doctor in the community.” NSU students have access to 10 free sessions per year with Henderson Student Counseling Services. Both part-time and full-time NSU students are eligible for these services. Students can make an appointment by calling Henderson Student Counseling Services at 954-888-6911 or by visiting their office at the Student Affairs Building. As the demand for mental health services on campus grows, colleges around the country are adding new ways for students to access mental health services. At NSU, Henderson Student Counseling Services has a crisis hotline that can be reached 24/7. The number for the crisis hotline is 954-424-6911. According to Time Magazine, in 2018 “UCLA offered all incoming students a free online screening for depression. More than 2,700 students have opted in, and counselors have followed up with more than 250 who were identified as being at risk for severe depression, exhibiting manic behavior or having suicidal thoughts.” For students with severe mental health concerns, NAMI has a few suggestions for how to ask for accommodations. First, identify the help that you will need. Then, register with the Office of Student Disability Services and provide the appropriate documentation. For more information, students can contact NSU’s Office of Student Disability Services at 954-262-7185. While concerns over mental health on campus are growing, there are still places where students can reach out for help if they need it. Self-care 101 Christina McLaughlin and Geena Anderson A lot of people ask, “What is self-care? How does one use self-care to better themselves?” According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “self-care is the ability of individuals, families and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health and cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a healthcare provider.” Self-care is a broad concept that includes hygiene practices, proper nutrition, self-advocacy for a healthy lifestyle, mental and physical health practicesandawarenessof environmental factors, such as living conditions and deterrence from unhealthy habits. WHO claims that there are many core principles of self-care that impact the individual directly as well as their local community. This includes empowerment, bodily autonomy, personal responsibility and community participation to mention a few. While this may seem like a lot, people tend to focus on hygiene, mental wellbeing and healthy eating when it comes to implementing self-care strategies and methods. There are many techniques and practices for improving your health overall, but not every practice will help everyone. It is more of a trial and error practice. Everyone has self-care techniques that help them the best. It may take some time to find what techniques and practices best help you but when you do find them, you’ll definitely find a positive change in your health. According to a 2018 article published in Psychology Today, participating in self-care techniques like learning how to eat right for your body, stress reducers, proper exercise and time for reflection and proper rest can help individuals stay healthy, content and resilient. One technique that helps many people is including sleep as part of their self-help routine. Sleep is our brain’s reset button; we get most of your energy for our day during REM sleep, which is, essentially, deep sleep. So when preparing for bed, you want to be able to get the best REMsleep as possible, which can help stabilize your mood and stress over time. Other possible techniques include focusing on digestive health, organizing and eliminating potential unnecessary stressors in your routine, taking breaks when feeling overwhelmed and learning as well as setting limitations or boundaries when it comes to work or other social expectations. Extra stressors brought on from the COVID-19 pandemic such as social isolation, anxieties and overall stress has highlighted a need for a focus on self-care and self-care routines for some people. On Aug. 20, 2020, the NSU College of Psychology recorded a “Shark Chat” with Shannon Karl, professor within the department of counseling at NSU, which could be accessed at this link. This discussion focused on self-care during stressful times. In this discussion, Karl emphasized resources students can access, potential methods of destressing and practices of self-care to consider during the unprecedented times of the pandemic. For students with a vested interest in approaching or improving upon their self- care routine, students are encouraged to reach out to The NSU Center for Student Counseling Services and Well Being (CSCW) for professional advice, resources and psychoeducational groups and program opportunities. The importance of a Healthy Diet Santiago Diaz Finochietto Contributing Writer Today, with a world in constant change and where we are always in a rush, we forget how important our health is. Students, or even the university staff, find themselves in a constant rush. Many times, we think that 24 hours is not enough for all things that have to be done in one day. We attend classes, go to the library, go to work, or have to attend practices. The use of our time and the organization of it is very important. We should always take care of our health, and in the face of such a rush, where it seems there is no time for everything, it is of vital importance to our nutrition. Why is having a balanced diet key in terms of our healthcare? Well, according to Marilyn Gordon, affiliate assistant professor in the Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine at NSU, when having a well-balanced nutrition individuals will not only see changes physically but also mentally. Gordon states that “your brain and your stomach are connected. So, what goes down here in your gut actually influences your brain, a lot has to do with serotonin, a hormone that stabilizes our mood, feelings of well-being, and happiness and other things. So, someone has a very unhealthy digestive track that also will affect their brain and their thinking.”. In addition, following a healthy diet, consuming the proper amount of proteins, fiber and also having regular intervals when eating will help individuals to respond effectively in every task they perform, even when studying or during class. There are different tips to having a healthy diet. Every country has its cultural characteristics and methods, or traditions even when targeting their meals. I eat four meals a day that includes breakfast, lunch, an afternoon snack, and dinner. But in comparison with the US culture, there is no afternoon snack rather just breakfast, lunch, and dinner. In face to this type of diet, Gordon argued that, “eating four times a day, can actually be better. When it comes to meal structure that can be helpful.” Moreover, she explained that culturally the US society is certain why the act of eating and the intervals of it become unimportant, and so they can eat whenever they want to, which consequently lead to poor eating habits. “Eating is an act of kindness,” saidGordon. Breakfast is considered as the most important meal of the day. That is why during the morning shift each of us takes the necessary time to prepare an appropriate breakfast, where there are proteins and natural fibers that will then provide us with a large amount of energy. In just a few minutes, you can make a few scrambled eggs with some fruit or even some toast with a fruit jam. We can also choose alternatives such as yogurt and cereals. There is no need for a fancy breakfast. These few options can take just 5-10 minutes. Lunch is a recharge of energy. Through lunch we activate our mind and body, and thus, we can continue with vitality the rest of the day. You can include a grilled chicken with vegetables and greens, a salad, and even some pasta for lunch. Pasta is of great nutritional and energetic value. As with breakfast, this type of recipe or dish does not require a very complex preparation or a lot of time. Chicken, pasta, and some salad can be good options for your lunch. The snack is sometimes not considered in our diet. However, thanks to it, we reduce the number of calories consumed at dinner. It is not necessary that such food be of great quantity. It is only to satiate the appetite for a couple of hours and then have dinner. It is important that snacks are not cookies or chocolates. The key is to replace processed foods with fruit or even yogurt. Finally, dinner is the last meal of the day, and both what you eat, and the amount requires attention and care. Dinner should be balanced and light. Simple and healthy options could be sauteed vegetables, some broth or also add some fruit for dessert. With permission to print from Christina McLaughlin