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Career Development Denise Alexander, BS, MA
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Balancing the demands of school with the complexities of personal life can be challenging, taking a toll on both our physical and mental health. The ability to handle these challenges is often exasperated by stigmas surrounding mental health and its impact on our day-to-day lives. Throughout your educational journey prioritizing self-care becomes increasingly crucial as it helps reduce stress, putting you in the right mindset to complete your degree. However, it's not just about enriching your mental health; you also have the power to contribute to fostering a more supportive and compassionate community.
In today’s day and age, more universities and employers are willing to talk about the importance of mental health and even have programs that are free or included with benefits to support their students and employees. However, negative perceptions toward people who have mental health conditions can be common. Negative words, phrases, and actions all contribute to the stigmas surrounding mental health and the discrimination faced by those suffering from mental health issues.
Because of this, people often feel ashamed for something that is out of their control and it can even prevent them from seeking necessary help. As more people avoid treatment, statistics have placed the lifetime prevalence of mental health disorders to be as high as 50% and the 1-year prevalence to be as high as 30%.
Additional effects of mental health stigmatization include:
So, how do you fight the stigma and prove the naysayers wrong?
Always remember that if you are battling with your mental health, it doesn’t make you incapable of success. Learning to accept your condition and recognize what you need to do to treat it while helping to educate others, can encourage positivity within your community and break any negative preconceived notions.
While healthcare, nursing, and social work students may receive specialized training in dealing with mental health stigmatism, every student needs to understand their role in combating this pervasive issue.
Some self-care tips to remember while balancing academic stress include:
Herzing University wants all students to be champions within their own field, practicing and promoting positive mental health practices.
If you or a loved one is experiencing a mental health crisis, call or text 988 to contact the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, which provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention, and crisis resources.
BLS pay estimates calculate the median annual wage for various occupations. Per the BLS the median wage for an occupation is: "The wage at which half of the workers in the occupation earned more than that amount, and half earned less. Median wage data are from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey." Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook 2024. BLS median wage estimates do not represent entry-level wages and/or salaries. Multiple factors, including prior experience, age, geographic market in which you want to work, and degree level and field, will affect career outcomes, including starting salary and earnings as an experienced employee. Herzing neither represents that its graduates will earn the median salaries calculated by BLS for a particular job nor guarantees that graduation from its program will result in a job, promotion, particular wage or salary, or other career growth.
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