Lucille Mac Nack has been a student psychologist at our university for about twenty years. She supports students who experience problems that negatively impact their studies. "They often say that student life is the time of your life, but some students go through really tough things," she says.
Substantial student debt, difficulty finding affordable accommodation, overcrowded lecture halls, pressure to perform and graduate quickly, as well as worries about the climate, energy and housing crisis. All the things that make you think that today's students are having a harder time than ever. Not surprisingly, the Trimbos Institute for mental health saw a sharp increase in mental disorders among young adults and students in results of their long-term research.
But do today's students really have it so tough? In her consulting room, student psychologist Lucille Mac Nack explains that this picture is a little more nuanced. Here, she receives students with numerous problems. "Psychological problems are of all times. We should certainly take the increase in the number of psychological complaints seriously, yet it is only part of the overall picture. For the most part, students and young people are doing well. But for those who are not doing as well, we should definitely be mindful and provide care."
Stress and loneliness among students
In all the years she has worked at our university, Lucille has noticed that stress and loneliness among students are recurring themes. "I remember when I recently started working here and a student said during an intake interview: sometimes I walk around campus all week and then I don't speak to anyone. That hit me so much that I thought: wow, how is that possible? That was so many years ago and loneliness is still an issue today. It would be nice if students talked to each other more."
Busy at student psychologist's office
Fortunately, the increase in the number of students with mental health issues does not necessarily mean that Lucille and her colleagues have a long waiting list. "We are now with more colleagues and, in addition, our working method has changed. Per week, we offer 25 20-minute consultations per student. This way, we can talk to more students and we give immediate advice: offering the student some individual talks, advising them to participate in a training course or referring them for help within the mental health services (GGZ)."
On average, Lucille and her colleagues speak to around 1,000 students per academic year. A notable increase is the number of international students who come to the student psychologist with problems. "At least two in three students who come to us are international students. You could say it is understandable, they are often far from home and sometimes find it difficult to settle here."
Yet, according to her, this does not mean that there are only problems. "I like to see things from the positive side. People sometimes experience less pleasant things in their lives or have problems, sometimes very serious ones, and that is what we are there for."
Not the only one with problems
All in all, Lucille would like to see students talking to each other more often about their problems. She notices that with the advent of smartphones, conversations between students are even more difficult to establish. "Talk to each other then I think, because you hide behind that phone. There is a perception among many students that everyone is doing well, and this is also reinforced by social media. Everyone pretends that everything is going well, but meanwhile they suffer in silence."
Consequently, during the training courses that Lucille and her colleagues give, for example to get rid of test anxiety, the phones invariably have to go. "The moment students share their experiences with each other during such a training, they often notice: gosh, I'm not the only one with this problem. That realisation is already so supportive. 'Sharing is caring' is what I always say. I love seeing that by sharing their story with others, students can really support each other and treat each other with respect. That gives me energy."
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The student psychologists aim to offer support to students who have study issues and psychological, social and/or emotional problems that are hindering their study progress. Want to know more or make an appointment?
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