By Michael Astle
A 2022 paper on university students’ use of mental health services analysed 44 studies across 8 countries on 6 continents, yet only 1 of those studies even considered graduate students. While mental health services for undergraduates have significantly improved in recent years, my efforts to find any university with information specifically for graduate students proved unfruitful. The best I found was a 2018 blog post by Southern Cross University, and even ChatGPT couldn’t help me out. So, being a graduate institution, where are Signum students to turn?
Thankfully, all Signum’s credit students have an advisor. While talking with Jessi Robinson, Advising Coordinator, she reminded me, “Colleges want to make money. Signum does not.” Your advisor’s role is to help you succeed, not only academically but also in regards to life matters, that includes mental health. So don’t be surprised if your advisor suggests you take a study break when you need it. While they may not be a trained counsellor, they are culturally aware and can help you find one in your own area. The first step is asking for help. When did you last reach out to your advisor?
If you’re unsure about your current mental health, try taking the WHO-5 Well-Being Index test. Even if you’re not studying, after just 5 quick questions, you’ll know where you stand.
More generally, I’ve personally found the Psych2Go YouTube channel quite helpful. It has a Mental Health playlist containing hundreds of videos on all sorts of mental health topics, though it could be better organised. The team behind it often responds supportively to comments on newly released videos.
For those who prefer to read, mental health issues often stem from self-criticism, becoming stuck in your own head, or self-isolation (whether due to shame or attempting to hide from a problem). The methods for reversing each of those problems are respectively rooted in self-kindness, mindfulness, and a shared experience of our common humanity.
Self-kindness is often thought of as self-love. However, for some people it rather takes the form of being fierce, not timidly allowing others to run roughshod over you but bravely asserting your own needs.
Mindfulness usually takes the form of being present in the moment. That’s where you allow yourself to acknowledge how you’re feeling without passing judgement. Others find deep exploration more beneficial. Learning to separate the identity of the problem from their own identity gives them clarity. If you’re the kind of person who fits into the second category, the results of this method can be like a ray of sunlight bursting between the dark clouds of depression and anxiety to reveal one’s true self.
Embracing our common humanity involves connecting with other humans. Yet as academics are typically introverts, that can be challenging. Thankfully, Signum has both the Community Hearth forums and a Discord server. If you’re the kind of person who needs a sense of empowerment in your life, try finding a group where you can exercise authority balanced with responsibility.
Kindness to ourselves, mindfulness in the here and now, and embracing our shared and interdependent humanity — and one step at a time.
