Why start early – students share their experiences on mental wellbeing

Early experiences help shape a young child’s brain. Fortunately, positive relationships and supportive communities can help young children and their families to build resilience and develop strong, nurturing relationships – so that young children achieve their full potential. However with the increase of nuclear families and parents being extremely busy, children feel neglected and become more vulnerable. 

To keep wellbeing intact at an early stage, education institutions should start wellbeing at an early stage so that students can achieve their full potential. Learning wellbeing ensures that students develop the knowledge and understanding, skills, capabilities and attributes which they need for mental, emotional, social and physical wellbeing now and in the future.

News agency, The Guardian, had recently conducted a survey where they asked students to write to them about their mental issues and how it has impacted their life. The response was overwhelming. So much so, that they had to shut down the project early to moderate the flow of entries. Most of them shared stories of anxiety and struggles.

• anonymous student said: “As a fresher you are constantly reminded that this is supposed to be the ‘time of your life’. When it feels like the worst time of your life you feel both a sense of guilt and a pressure to keep these negative thoughts to yourself.”
• “My university supported me in my decision to suspend my studies and have helped me get back on track to resume my studies in September, yet I can’t help feel more could have been done to help me, before I reached breaking point.”

What do students think needs to be done? Education needs to start early. An anonymous student said: “People need to know what signs to look for in their friends. They need to understand that depression, anxiety, eating disorders, OCD and bipolar are illnesses, not character flaws.

“The support and education about them need to be on par with the education we get about other medical issues. If we learn about it in school, we will be more prepared when we get to university.”

Now is the time for action. Let’s incorporate wellbeing early in students to avoid mental issues in the future.