Sufficient income is a mental health issue

Today, 10 October, is the World Mental Health Day. The solution to students’ mental health crisis requires action on both prevention and the treatment of symptoms. However, the government’s actions only serve to make the situation worse. Member of HYY’s Board Tilda Lassila wonders why the mental health crisis among students is not taken seriously.

The mental health crisis among young people and students has been discussed for years with no end in sight. There was a flash of light at the end of the tunnel when the government announced its intention to finally implement the therapy guarantee. The problem, however, is that students have been forgotten in the therapy guarantee. The government proposal on the therapy guarantee only covers people under the age of 23, excluding a part of higher education students. It seems like decision-makers still are not interested in a sustainable solution to students’ mental health crisis.

Not only are students being neglected in the treatment of the symptoms of the mental health crisis, students’ plight is actually made worse instead of tackling the underlying causes of the crisis. Poor financial situation significantly decreases the wellbeing of many students. The situation is alarming, but the government still decides to kick students when they are down, making significant cuts to students’ social security, which was already at a low level. How should students maintain their mental health if their everyday life is just a struggle for survival?

The cuts to social security are justified by the increased emphasis on loans in the student aid, for instance. Students have more debt than ever before, and being crushed under a debt burden certainly does not foster mental health. If you do not want a massive amount of debt, you have to work – if you happen to find any. For many students, combining full-time studies and work increases stress levels and slows down study progress. Add this to the huge pressure to graduate in target time, and you have all the ingredients for a burnout.

Students’ mental health crisis is a ticking time bomb. Among young people, mental health problems are the leading cause for being granted a disability pension. How can we students save the national economy if a significant share of us have burnout or are unable to work for other mental health reasons when we graduate? If we go on like this, the price of the mental health crisis will soon greatly exceed that of the investments required to solve it. If we allow the situation to blow up, the government can only blame itself.

The mental health crisis cannot be solved – and much less prevented – by trampling on students who already languish under the poverty line. Promoting mental health is no rocket science – we only need to ensure that each student can be certain that their income is sufficient for food, medication and rent. This should not be too much to ask. We need action now while we can still prevent the worst outcome.