RWS 1301

Viera

Community Problem Paper

Denny Chavez

University of Texas at El Paso

 Abstract

My topic selection for this research paper is going to be how mental health issues affects

the engineering classroom, students and a whole campus. I plan to go deep in this area when

researching, and i plan to provide details about how it does affect the campus. You never know

what you might find when doing research. I hope to find a lot of interesting facts, stats, and

evidence of these issues at the University. My main research question where i want to based my

paper on is If an engineering student suffers from mental health issues, how do you think it can

affect his/her future? Overall I am really excited on writing this paper, hopefully i am able of

turning in a paper capable of impacting someone.

Mental Health In Our Lives

Mental health problems affect around one in four people in any given year. They range

from common problems, such as depression and anxiety, to rarer problems such as schizophrenia

and bipolar disorder​. ​Mental health issues according to the U.S. Public Health Service (1999),

documented the disabled nature of mental illnesses, this showed the strong science base behind

effective treatments and recommendations that people seek when wanting help for their mental

health problems or disorders. It also showed that mainly all U.S. citizens do not share the equal

hope for recovery from mental illnesses. Therefore, mental health issues is fundamental to

health. Mental Health issues affect people's lives and also of their loved ones. It is said that the

U.S has been registered with the most mental health cases from all around the world. According
to Genova “​One ​in​ four ​people in​ the world will be ​affected by mental​ or neurological ​disorders

at some point ​in​ their lives. Around 450 million ​people currently​ suffer from such ​conditions​,

placing ​mental disorders​ among the leading causes of ill-​health​ and disability worldwide”.

Treatments are available, but nearly two out of three individuals with a known mental disorder

never seek help from a health professional. Where there is neglect, there is little or no

understanding. Where there is no understanding, there is neglect.

Mental Health Issues In the Classroom

Growing numbers of students have significant mental health issues. A report from the

Center for Mental Health in schools suggests that in some schools 75%-85% of students do not

come to class ready and able to work. The report also suggests that 40%-50% of students will

not be able to fulfill their educational potential, The reason why this is stated is because he

Growing numbers of students have significant mental health issues. The general purpose of this

work is to help educators learn to work with mental health professionals. It accomplishes this

aim by providing information about professions, vocabulary, and concepts of the mental health

community. ​Teens need adult guidance more than ever to understand all the emotional and

physical changes they are experiencing. When teens moods interfere with their ability to function

on a day to day basis, it may mean that a serious emotional or mental disorder that needs

attention. Parents or caregivers must take action.​ What some teachers or educators can do is

make ​efforts to care for the emotional state of children and youth can extend beyond the
classroom and into the entire school. School-based mental health programs can focus on

promoting mental wellness, preventing mental health problems, and providing treatment. They

can educate themselves and others on the symptoms of mental health issues, provide a safe

environment, encourage good health, and help students access mental health resources.

Mental Illness In College Students

One in three students reported prolonged periods of depression as college students in

their lifetime. 50% of students rated their mental health below average or poor when enrolled in

a university. Only 7% of parents reported their college students as experiencing mental health

issues on file. 30% reported problems with school work due to a mental health issue they were

suffering from. ​In 2004 the Mental Health Task Force on Graduate Student Mental Health at the

University of California Berkeley surveyed its graduate students and revealed 45% had

experienced an emotional or stress-related problem in the last 12 months that significantly

affected their well-being and/or academic performance​. ​Depression is one of the most common

disorder students may be experiencing when enrolled in college. Depression and anxiety can be

seen in students who sleep throughout class, seem tearful or exhibit crying at different times

throughout the day, or just seem sad​.​ They may display a marked change in their interest in

schoolwork and activities. Their grades may drop significantly due to lack of interest, or loss of

motivation.. Bipolar disorder is a big issue that is noticeable by teachers in the classroom.

Students may experience changes in mood, energy levels, dedication, and motivation that may

occur many times a day, or during certain seasons of the year. As a result, a student with bipolar
disorder may have difficulty concentrating, understanding assignments and eventually lead to

failing or even dropping out.

Conclusion

To conclude this paper, we can see and realize that mental health issues are a big problem

in people's lives. Especially in the classroom, from elementary kids, all the way to College

students. Some of these students have given up from school because they feel like they are not

getting the support they need or want from those around them. I feel like some people don't

really pay attention to these students because they feel like it's not important to even bother to

give a single piece of attention. College and school itself is not a piece of cake. Sometimes you

want to give up because you feel like you can’t do it, due to all the work you have. Some people

don’t see or realize how tough college really is. A lot of dedication and support is needed

sometimes to be successful. If these students are not obtaining it from those around them them,

then how do you plan for them to come out successful from the struggles of college.
This picture represents the percentages of the different types of mental health issues that students

have been registered with.

 References

C. (2008). Title of the source without caps except Proper Nouns or: First word after colon. ​The

Journal or Publication Italicized and Capped​, Vol#(Issue#), Page numbers.

O. (2010). Online journal using DOI or digital object identifier. ​Main Online Journal Name​,

Vol#(Issue#), 159-192. doi: 10.1000/182

W. (2009). If there is no DOI use the URL of the main website referenced. ​Article Without DOI

Reference​, Vol#(Issue#), 166-212. Retrieved from​ ​http://www.example.com