Half a million students in Germany suffer from a mental health illness - Sensationalist Headlines

[QUOTE]Over one in six students across the country now have a mental health illness, according to a new study. The study, published by Barmer health insurance provider last week, found that depression, anxiety disorders and panic attacks among young people are on the increase. About 17 percent of students who were previously regarded as healthy are now affected by a mental illness, according to the study. This corresponds to almost half a million (around 470,000) people. Between 2005 and 2016, the proportion of 18- to 25-year-olds diagnosed with mental illnesses in Germany rose by 38 percent. These figures are published in Barmer’s report of the study. “Many signs show that there will be significantly more mentally ill young people in the future,” said Dr. Christoph Straub, CEO of Barmer. “Especially among prospective students, pressure having to do with time and one’s performance is constantly increasing and financial worries and fears about the future are added to this,” the CEO said. Another finding of the study is that the risk of depression among students increases significantly with age; young students were found to be less at risk than older students. In order to avoid possible mental health cases later on, the health insurance provider recommends that young adults - particularly those who have already experienced depression or anxiety - take advantage of online or in-person resources at an early stage.[/QUOTE] Source: [url]https://www.thelocal.de/20180302/half-a-million-students-in-germany-suffer-from-a-mental-health-illness-study[/url]

Fuck me, half a million? After four years of technical college and being told that the way we choose is wrong no wonder why so many get depressed and scared of the future. I definitely am.

In a more and more expensive world where you need a job to live, and where university degrees mean less and less but are just as hard to get... Yeah, makes sense

I think it also has a lot to do with society putting such a huge emphasis on college / uni, that a lot of young people feel funnelled into it even if they don't want to pursue it. They're forced to because it's expected and you're constantly told that you'll never make money without a degree. I'm studying a degree I hate, but I'm only doing it because I want to graduate and work a stable job so I can support my mum, dad and sisters. But god damn, I feel like in another life, I'd just be travelling the world and working small jobs to keep myself going.

[QUOTE=loopoo;53175029]I think it also has a lot to do with society putting such a huge emphasis on college / uni, that a lot of young people feel funnelled into it even if they don't want to pursue it. They're forced to because it's expected and you're constantly told that you'll never make money without a degree. I'm studying a degree I hate, but I'm only doing it because I want to graduate and work a stable job so I can support my mum, dad and sisters. But god damn, I feel like in another life, I'd just be travelling the world and working small jobs to keep myself going.[/QUOTE] Probably also because of society's pressure on needing a job to survive, causing people to go for things that make money instead of things they like. That's compounded by the fact that they have to work even harder to get a degree for something they don't like, AND it might not get them a job

College and uni was undoubtedly the most stressful period of my life. Apart from not knowing what the fuck I was doing there was an absurd amount of pressure placed on you that you must do everything exactly as planned. The same thing is happening with my girlfriend and practically everyone I know who went to college with me much prefers the "adult" life now they've left. This isn't specific to Germany it's a global problem too. Now after leaving I realize I have the world as my oyster and I'm a more stronger, stable (:theresa:) person than I was at uni. There isn't much of a support structure while you're in it, so you kinda have to slog it out which sucks ass.

[QUOTE=SIRIUS;53175037]Probably also because of society's pressure on needing a job to survive, causing people to go for things that make money instead of things they like. That's compounded by the fact that they have to work even harder to get a degree for something they don't like, AND it might not get them a job[/QUOTE] and even if it does, they'll be paying for the schooling they didn't want for the next 30, 40, 50 years. It's ridiculous. Something has to give.

I struggle incredibly in written examinations of any kind, but I went to university because it was apparently the right thing to do, and "I wouldn't get a job without it" despite really not wanting to go, knowing how much I would struggle. I ended up having to drop out of university, and went job hunting as well as building a little portfolio. I got a job in less than a year, and it proved to me that the whole "you need to go uni" thing is bullshit. If you honestly don't feel like university is for you, then don't do it. Don't let society peer pressure you into thinking everyone has to go university.

[QUOTE=SIRIUS;53175002]In a more and more expensive world where [B]you need a job to live[/B], and where university degrees mean less and less but are just as hard to get... Yeah, makes sense[/QUOTE] i agree except this part was redundant - you always need a job to live unless you're a dependant/unfit for work

[QUOTE=Anteep;53175120]i agree except this part was redundant - you always need a job to live unless you're a dependant/unfit for work[/QUOTE] In our society, yes

Over my time in school there was an ever increasing focus on mesauring progress and it went from maybe after an end of term test setting some revision targets to being assessed nearly weekly in everything and needing to identify how I could improve my results. In my last few weeks of school I was speaking to my form tutor and she was talking about how the sort of work induced anxiety she used to see in people sitting their final exams she now sees pushed into year 7s. It then increases as it did before to the point that there's a genuinely significant issue with depression and attempted suicides. Someone needs to remind the people in charge of schools that kids are kids - don't work them into the ground in the name of a few percent improvements in grades.

I was stressed out enough to end up in a psych ward in college and I knew what I wanted to do, I was studying something I'm good at and enjoy, and it's a profitable career. Granted I have some issues that have nothing to do with school, but I think there's a good chance I wouldn't be alive if I didn't have those things in my favor. If healthy people can become ill from this stress, it's pretty stacked against people who already are.

As an American, I'd recommend my fellow college students to hold off on getting credit cards or stick to just one unless you have great self control and don't suffer from these issues. After attending for about four years, with nearly perfect grades each semester, my depression got especially nasty last semester and I got really reckless and maxed out all my cards pretty much. I also failed/withdrew from all my classes. I have about 14k in debt now, on-top of my student loan debt ~12k which will probably end up being around 20k by the time I finish. My savings have just about dried up to pay for my minimum payments, I foolishly left my last job thinking I could easily find another since I had 5 years of experience and an Associate's degree in mobile app development. Unfortunately if I don't find a job by May I will have to look into filing for bankruptcy at the age of 24, which I really don't want to do. The massive debt cloud hanging over me and the insane difficulty in finding a job at this time on-top of being a full time student has been really fucking stressful. Don't be a fool like me and get credit cards just because you had good credit. I ended up with about 6, because when times get tough depression spending isn't exactly unheard of.

college is a scam

[QUOTE=Ninja Gnome;53175950]college is a scam[/QUOTE] I don't know if a statement that general is accurate

[QUOTE=SIRIUS;53175952]I don't know if a statement that general is accurate[/QUOTE] it is a really general statement, and likely inaccurate. it was mostly an emotional expression rather than one based entirely in truth. the problem i have with college is that (almost) everybody i know who has gone into college has only done so because they felt like they had to, that it was the next step after high school. that if they didn't become a college graduate, they'd be a failure and couldn't be successful in life. i know some people have gone in to degree programs where they truly feel passionate about what they are learning, and that is precisely what college should be about. i'd be willing to bet that most people never actually end up really needing the knowledge they learned in college once they graduate, their degree just acts as a key to open up doors that really don't need to be locked behind a degree in the first place. we shouldn't have to saddle ourselves down with debt for the rest of our lives because corporations demand we completed High School 2: This Time You Pay For It [editline]4th March 2018[/editline] there are some really great programs out there, and really great college courses to take, but i'm going to hazard a guess that most people learn how to do their desk jobs on site rather than in lecture halls

[QUOTE=Ninja Gnome;53175957]it is a really general statement, and likely inaccurate. it was mostly an emotional expression rather than one based entirely in truth. the problem i have with college is that (almost) everybody i know who has gone into college has only done so because they felt like they had to, that it was the next step after high school. that if they didn't become a college graduate, they'd be a failure and couldn't be successful in life. i know some people have gone in to degree programs where they truly feel passionate about what they are learning, and that is precisely what college should be about. i'd be willing to bet that most people never actually end up really needing the knowledge they learned in college once they graduate, their degree just acts as a key to open up doors that really don't need to be locked behind a degree in the first place. we shouldn't have to saddle ourselves down with debt for the rest of our lives because corporations demand we completed High School 2: This Time You Pay For It [editline]4th March 2018[/editline] there are some really great programs out there, and really great college courses to take, but i'm going to hazard a guess that most people learn how to do their desk jobs on site rather than in lecture halls[/QUOTE] One of the problems afflicting education is parents buying into the rat race and forcing their kids into doing things they don't want to, or have the inclination, to do. It's worse when they just try to make their children into carbon copies of themselves, because the kid is their own person. Put in perspective, people buy their way into medical school here because the parents think "ooh look at my kid the doctor" when in reality that attitude results in the creation of many, many less than mediocre doctors, who then proceed to ruin the reputation of the field as a whole. Like you said, schools and colleges don't focus on the actual employability of the graduates either, even if you go the degree path. It's said that most of us don't even remember the majority of the shit we crammed into our heads during college as little as some years after graduation. Soft skills, for instance, are so woefully lacking among Indian graduates, that a report published by one of our industry think tanks a couple years ago said barely one in ten graduates have the necessary skills to be considered employable. The truth is everybody should be allowed to choose their own roads in life, learn from their experiences, and then choose where to go. It's never too late to start something new no matter when you do so. Age doesn't matter - you need drive, passion, and grit to succeed at anything.

I see a partial reason for it as a fear for the future. Our pension system is absolutely awful. You are expected to work 45~ years and pay into the state and then when you are old as shit, just live with the little money you get as a retired citizen. There are many retired people who collect bottles to get some additional money because they have so little from their pension. The state saw it as a problem and banned bottle collecting in certain cities. Nursing homes are overloaded with old people, there aren't enough young people going into these jobs to take care of these people and the state doesn't do anything to improve it. (There was even a young man calling out Merkel on this in a TV show that she hasn't done anything in all her 12 years to improve the pension/nursing home situation) Additionally, since the migrant crisis, the country itself has become less attractive to people. Numbers of citizens moving out of the country increase year by year, students from other countries would have stayed to work here some years ago but thanks to the current situation, they simply go back to their own countries instead of becoming citizens and live here. It really feels like a grim future of not knowing where to go and what to do. Edit: (I don't want to go even more into migrant thing here to not derail the thread but when you see some refugees and migrants coming here from south east countries, not working, simply having 3 wives, 15 children, getting a house for free, etc. and they earn more money without the need to work (through the state's money, paid in by honest citizens), then sometimes you ask yourself: "Why should I even work?"). You kinda feel like a 2nd class citizen sometimes.

[QUOTE=loopoo;53175029]I think it also has a lot to do with society putting such a huge emphasis on college / uni, that a lot of young people feel funnelled into it even if they don't want to pursue it. They're forced to because it's expected and you're constantly told that you'll never make money without a degree. I'm studying a degree I hate, but I'm only doing it because I want to graduate and work a stable job so I can support my mum, dad and sisters. But god damn, I feel like in another life, I'd just be travelling the world and working small jobs to keep myself going.[/QUOTE] I am working in a tech job that I sort of like, the pay is ok since I live in a great shared house with awesome people and still since I stopped buying electronics, expensive stuff and vacations where I need to pay flights and hotels(doing couch surfing and tramping) I start asking myself: what am I working for

I'm currently in my final year of an Accounting Degree and I despise it. I realized about halfway through that I was pushed to pursue a maths/business degree despite getting awful marks in highschool presumably so my parents, neither of whom attended university, could live vicariously through me. I have no intention of being an accountant. Thanks to this degree, and other life events, I've developed generalized anxiety disorder, and suffer panic attacks regularly, though am happily medicated for both. I don't blame my parents, they were acting in my best interest, I'm just fed up with university being peddled as something necessary for everyone

The world won't change fast enough UBI is the way to go for the future, so much stress would go away making everyone happier

The thing about peer pressure to get people into college is not even the only issue, when there are so many jobs that ask for a college degree but pay the salary of a vocational education degree.

[QUOTE=FeartheMango;53176132]I'm currently in my final year of an Accounting Degree and I despise it. I realized about halfway through that I was pushed to pursue a maths/business degree despite getting awful marks in highschool presumably so my parents, neither of whom attended university, [B]could live vicariously through me[/B]. I have no intention of being an accountant. Thanks to this degree, and other life events, I've developed generalized anxiety disorder, and suffer panic attacks regularly, though am happily medicated for both. I don't blame my parents, they were acting in my best interest, I'm just fed up with university being peddled as something necessary for everyone[/QUOTE] Filial piety huh? Where are your parents from?

[QUOTE=ZombieDawgs;53175083]College and uni was undoubtedly the most stressful period of my life. Apart from not knowing what the fuck I was doing there was an absurd amount of pressure placed on you that you must do everything exactly as planned. The same thing is happening with my girlfriend and practically everyone I know who went to college with me much prefers the "adult" life now they've left. This isn't specific to Germany it's a global problem too. Now after leaving I realize I have the world as my oyster and I'm a more stronger, stable (:theresa:) person than I was at uni. There isn't much of a support structure while you're in it, so you kinda have to slog it out which sucks ass.[/QUOTE] I've already had a job for over 4 years before I decided to got to university and I [B]much[/B] prefer this exciting life full of learning and discovering new things over my old boring-ass 9-to-5 job. What about your college experience makes you prefer your "adult" life now?

[QUOTE=loopoo;53175029]I think it also has a lot to do with society putting such a huge emphasis on college / uni, that a lot of young people feel funnelled into it even if they don't want to pursue it. They're forced to because it's expected and you're constantly told that you'll never make money without a degree. I'm studying a degree I hate, but I'm only doing it because I want to graduate and work a stable job so I can support my mum, dad and sisters. But god damn, I feel like in another life, I'd just be travelling the world and working small jobs to keep myself going.[/QUOTE] I'm in the same boat. I'm in my final semester of my final year of university right now and I have completely lost what little drive I had lol

[QUOTE=Scot;53176280]I'm in the same boat. I'm in my final semester of my final year of university right now and I have completely lost what little drive I had lol[/QUOTE] get it over and done with, my dude. it always blows my mind when friends / people I know drop out of their degree at the end of their second year. you're in your final semester ever, get this shit sorted and hopefully you'll end up working in a company that instills passion, drive and focus in you. uni has a tendency to sap all enthusiasm out of you, cause sitting in 4 hour blocks of theory lectures is just absolute garbage. I'm hoping once I graduate and start working, I'll be happy. I tell myself I'll just get a house, invest in a man cave, get my work day over so I can just go home and chill in my own space. that's what's driving me right now.

[QUOTE=Ninja Gnome;53175950]college is a scam[/QUOTE] Statistically it is one of the best decisions you can make, as long as you aren't making some awful sub-decisions like going to a private school you can't afford. It's actually not even true that a degree is worth less than before. In America, this is mediated by the increased cost, but the wage premium for a college degree is at a [URL="http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2014/02/11/the-rising-cost-of-not-going-to-college/sdt-higher-education-02-11-2014-0-03/"]sky-time high[/URL] and it's one of the largest driving factors of inequality and "wage stagnation" as charlatans call it. Even shit like liberal arts is kinda underrated. Although yeah, you added on later. It's still not something people should allow themselves to be forced into. People unfairly neglect certain trades, and I think a lot of people who got pushed into it would have benefited from taking a gap year or two after high-school to chill the hell out and figure out what they wanna do.

[QUOTE=loopoo;53176342]get it over and done with, my dude. it always blows my mind when friends / people I know drop out of their degree at the end of their second year. you're in your final semester ever, get this shit sorted and hopefully you'll end up working in a company that instills passion, drive and focus in you. uni has a tendency to sap all enthusiasm out of you, cause sitting in 4 hour blocks of theory lectures is just absolute garbage. I'm hoping once I graduate and start working, I'll be happy. I tell myself I'll just get a house, invest in a man cave, get my work day over so I can just go home and chill in my own space. that's what's driving me right now.[/QUOTE] Yeah I'm definitely planning on getting my degree it's just gonna be a shitty time until then.

[QUOTE=loopoo;53176342][B]company that instills passion, drive and focus in you. [/B] [/QUOTE] Someone actually point to a company that does this? [editline]4th March 2018[/editline] [QUOTE=thelurker1234;53176417]Statistically it is one of the best decisions you can make, as long as you aren't making some awful sub-decisions like going to a private school you can't afford. It's actually not even true that a degree is worth less than before. In America, this is mediated by the increased cost, but the wage premium for a college degree is at a sky-time high and it's one of the largest driving factors of inequality and "wage stagnation" as charlatans call it. Even shit like liberal arts is kinda underrated. Although yeah, you added on later. It's still not something people should allow themselves to be forced into. People unfairly neglect certain trades, and I think a lot of people who got pushed into it would have benefited from taking a gap year or two after high-school to chill the hell out and figure out what they wanna do.[/QUOTE] Actually long term, trade schools are worth more. And they're cheaper. Especially in the US because we have a massive shortage of workers for trades.

[QUOTE=SunsetTable;53176430]Actually long term, trade schools are worth more. And they're cheaper. Especially in the US because we have a massive shortage of workers for trades.[/QUOTE] A lot of those pay pretty well but one caveat to keep in mind is that many trades are hell on your body to do over a lifetime. That's mainly why I said "certain trades." Stuff like lab tech is pretty comfy compared to say, welding. But yeah in general I do wish high school pushed those along with university. Although part of that may be that getting into a lot of trades is not as simple as just "go to trade school."