Are You Okay? An ND Mental Health Check In
Mental health is an extremely important conversation to be having, especially in the school setting. There are multiple factors that can weigh in on a student’s mental health, like schoolwork, relationships, family, home life, and exposure to trauma or violence. Mental health should be an obligation and a priority for schools, though it is usually overridden by a focus on “hustle culture,” profit, competition, and the overarching issue of capitalism. As the school year closes, let’s check on ND’s mental health.
When asked a simple “how are you doing?” question, ND students provided a variety of answers, though they lean predominantly towards having negative symptoms. Anonymous students mentioned the stress of school, feeling like they were in their “worst time,” and issues like low-self esteem or difficulty at home. Over 80% of students reported that school impacted their mental health and general wellbeing. When asked about how they feel when at school, students reported feeling overstimulated, suffering from academic burnout, disassociation, social anxiety and constantly “going through the motions.” Students also talked about how much their sleep schedule varies between school days and the weekend, with many hours of difference. They averaged at getting 6.5 hours during the week while getting around 8.75 during the weekend.
Students cited a variety of contributors to their stress, including AP testing, college, homework, tests, and school in general. One responder spoke about their struggles, saying, “School is literally my whole life and the stakes feel high” and that the “constant comparison with others, stress surrounding tests/hw/grades, social pressures, anxiety about the future + college” significantly impact their wellbeing. Students are exhausted from the pressures of school and damaging amounts of homework. When asked if students feel understood and their needs are being met at Notre Dame, only a quarter reported that they do. Another person shared their dissatisfaction with this, saying, “ND pushes my concerns off to the side time and time again. They treat me like my issues aren't important, which is frustrating.” Various students agreed with this sentiment, stating that the“ND counseling system needs a lot of work, I don't feel like there are people I can talk to at school” and that “i think nd cares about our mental health, but. i dont think teachers care enough. they don't seem to make changes or help, if they do care.”
This survey sheds light on a side of ND and the education system that is not often talked about. It is clear that students need help and that people are struggling. Clearly, this is not an individual problem that can be fully eliminated with one-on-one student conversations, but it is instead a larger systemic issue. Students simply want to be cared for, and they, unfortunately, aren’t receiving this care. As the end of the 2022 to 2023 school year approaches, schools need to make change and take mental health seriously.
