College Students Promote Mental Health Awareness During National Stre...( SILVER SPRING Md. April 8 2008 -...),Health

SILVER SPRING, Md., April 8, 2008 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In two weeks college students will participate in National Stress Out Day, a nationwide effort sponsored by the Anxiety Disorders Association of America and Active Minds to provide pre-finals stress relief and educate students about the difference between everyday anxiety and an anxiety disorder or other mental illness.

Anxiety disorders are one of the most common mental health problems on college campuses. Forty million U.S. adults suffer from an anxiety disorder, and 75 percent of them experience their first episode of anxiety by age 22.

National Stress Out Day reminds students to take care of their mental health, an important reminder in light of a recent survey that found 80 percent of college students say they frequently or sometimes experience daily stress. The Associated Press and mtvU survey also found that 34 percent of students have felt depressed at some point in the past three months, 13 percent have been diagnosed with a mental health condition such as an anxiety disorder or depression, and 9 percent have seriously considered suicide in the past year.

National Stress Out Day will be held during the week of April 21-25; each participating campus can choose a specific day. Students will engage in activities aimed to relieve pre-finals stress while reducing the stigma around mental health disorders which can prevent students from seeking treatment.

Additional support for National Stress Out Day is provided by the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

Colleges participating in National Stress Out Day

American University Ohio State University

Boston University Our Lady of the Lake University

Bryn Mawr College Regis University

Cal State Chico Sacred Heart University

Cal State Long Beach Simon Fraser University

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