ARKANSAS, USA — Finals are ending, and many college students have started heading home for winter break— but it's not all holiday cheer. Mental health can be a problem for many young people during the holidays.
College opens new doors to different experiences for students, and the child you send off to school may not be the same adult coming back.
As families join for the holidays, communication is vital when it comes to nurturing mental health.
"Things are consistently changing in higher education and so everybody's just kind of adjusting," explained Isis Pettway, a licensed therapist.
Approaching your student's mental health as they come home for winter break may seem difficult. You may find yourself asking why are they different during the holidays and how you can help.
Pettway said to try and picture your student on levels.
"if you got a freshman student, this was their first semester in school,” Pettway said. “So, they may feel maybe a little stressed, you can have those who have like a mixed bag of emotions because they may have been a roller coaster."
If they're upperclassmen, that brings along a whole new set of challenges.
"Junior or senior level, you may see a little more stress a little more overwhelming, because this is the last year if they haven't buckled down,” Pettway said.
According to Pettway, communication is the best foundation. From there, you can assess the relationship. Ask yourself what does safety look like in the relationship, and whether your student feels seen and heard?
"A lot of times as parents, we like to look at our children as an extension of us instead of their own individual person,” Pettway said. “So, acknowledge that they have their own personalities, they have their own issues that they are dealing with."
Jacqueline Sharp, Area Director for the Arkansas American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, said that if you are a student dealing with mental health, listen to yourself too.
"Mental health is physical health and one affects the other,” Sharp said. “So, it’s really important that you're checking in with yourself."
It's also important to recognize any abrupt changes.
"Are they sleeping all day? Is it too little? Is it too much? If they are expressing thoughts of not wanting to be here, that's a red flag," Pettway emphasized.
These red flags often go unseen— which can lead to devastating results.
"Last year Arkansas lost 583 Arkansans to suicide, and it is the 11th leading cause of death in our state. It is the second leading cause of death for ages 10 to 25," Sharp explained.
Sharp and Pettway encouraged putting mental health at the top of the list this holiday season.
“When it comes to youth mental health, see them, hear them, be present with them and that will make a huge amount of difference,” Pettway said.
Holidays can also be hard if the student or family as a whole has lost someone special. The usual holiday activities may hit people differently.
Sharp and Pettway emphasized communicating your needs as the best way to go. Ask yourself what you want this time of year to look like for you, and prioritize those activities that are going to help with your mental health.