Emotional Wellness

The American Psychological Association describes emotional health in the following manner:

Emotional health can lead to success in work, relationships, and health. In the past, researchers believed that success made people happy. Newer research reveals that it's the other way around. Happy people are more likely to work towards goals, find the resources they need, and attract others with their energy and optimism -- key building blocks of success.

As you likely are aware, attending college brings opportunities for both challenges and improvements in emotional health and well-being. Being solely responsible for areas such as studying, time management, decisions about social time, when to go to sleep, and even what and where to eat, carry additional pressures that many new college students may not have faced in the past. Add to this the pressure of meeting scholastic demands and social expectations, not to mention adjustment to the social and cultural environment, and it becomes easy to see where mood, stress, anxiety, and relationship concerns can become problematic.

All this stress can add up and lead to and/or exacerbate psychological problems in people prone to depressive and anxiety concerns. While many students come to college with a history of mental health concerns, a 2012 study by the American College Counseling Association revealed that experiencing mental health concerns is not at all uncommon in college with over 37% of college students reportedly seeking help for significant psychological distress.

How to Use this Page

While it is anticipated that being at college can be a time of wonderful growth as well, this page seeks to provide informational resources for common concerns faced by a large number of students in college. Links on the right-hand side of this page will direct you to these resources and information. If you'd like more information about these and other concerns, please contact the CUA Counseling Center, 202-319-5765, or at 127 O'Boyle Hall.