Check-in Mental: The Side of University Life That Doesn’t Show Up on Your Degree
‘Check-in Mental’ is a column in UCP Students’ Voices that gives students at the Universidade Católica a platform to reflect on issues relating to mental health and wellbeing. Through opinion pieces, personal accounts and informed reflections, this initiative aims to promote mental health literacy, encourage critical thinking and contribute to a more informed, aware and welcoming university culture.
For many young people, starting university marks the beginning of a new phase characterised by independence, discovery and the shaping of a life plan. But it is also a time of change, academic demands, new responsibilities, interpersonal relationships and uncertainty about the future. Given this reality, one question arises: what is the point of preparing students for the job market if they are not also given the tools to look after their mental health?
Mental health is an essential aspect of well-being and is particularly important in a university setting. Anxiety, stress, difficulties with emotional regulation and interpersonal relationships, or concerns about one’s future career can directly affect students’ academic experience and quality of life.
Rather than merely responding to crisis situations, psychological support can create a space for prevention, reflection and personal development. It is in this context that the psychological support services provided by higher education institutions are playing an increasingly important role.
According to Dr Raquel Ornelas Azevedo, demand for this type of support has been growing. “Since it reopened, there has been an increase in demand for psychological support, which shows that there is a real need amongst students and greater awareness of the importance of mental health".
Growing demand does not necessarily mean that students are more vulnerable than in the past. It may also indicate a greater willingness to acknowledge difficulties and seek help. Seeking psychological support is thus beginning to be seen not merely as a response to serious problems, but as a tool for self-care and personal growth.
The issues brought to psychological support services are varied and reflect the complexity of the university experience. According to Dr Raquel Ornelas Azevedo, the most common issues include anxiety, emotional management and social-emotional skills, self-regulation of learning, depressive symptoms, interpersonal relationships and concerns about one’s future career.
The diversity of these challenges demonstrates that students’ psychological wellbeing does not depend solely on their academic performance. The ability to manage emotions, form healthy relationships, organise one’s learning and cope with uncertainty also has a profound influence on the way each student experiences their journey through higher education.
The university is, therefore, much more than just a place for the transmission of knowledge. It is an environment where young people develop skills, build relationships and make decisions that can shape their future. When emotional challenges mount up, the impact can extend beyond the personal sphere and also affect their motivation, learning and academic performance.
Psychological counselling does not necessarily produce the same results for all students. Each person comes to the counselling room with a different background, a different challenge and different goals. Even so, there are changes that can be observed throughout the process.
“Generally speaking, there is an improvement in the ability to understand and manage emotions, a reduction in anxiety and stress levels, and an increase in psychological well-being”, explains Dr Raquel Ornelas Azevedo.
Counselling therefore provides students with a space where they can better understand what they are feeling, identify difficulties and develop strategies to deal with them. Asking for help is no longer seen as an admission of weakness, but rather as a way of acquiring the tools to tackle challenges in a more mindful and balanced way.
Despite growing awareness of the importance of mental health, there are obstacles that can prevent or limit access to psychological support. Among these is the financial aspect.
In the previous academic year, consultations were free of charge under a funded project. When that project came to an end, the cost of the support was passed on to the students, albeit at a reduced rate. This change had tangible consequences: some students stopped attending the support sessions.
This situation highlights a reality that cannot be ignored. Recognising the importance of mental health does not, in itself, guarantee that everyone will be able to access the care they need. For some students, cost may continue to be a major barrier.
The provision of psychological support services at universities is, therefore, only part of the solution. It is equally important to ensure that these services are accessible and that no student drops out of a support programme solely for financial reasons.
There is, however, another, less visible barrier: stigma.
Although there is now greater openness to discussing mental health, some students still associate asking for help with a sign of weakness. Seeking help from a psychologist may still be seen by some as confirmation that something is wrong, or as an inability to resolve one’s own challenges independently.
For Dr Raquel Ornelas Azevedo, this perception remains one of the main challenges to accessing psychological support in a university setting. Change also involves normalising the use of these services and conveying the idea that asking for help is not a weakness, but a conscious decision to look after oneself.
There are times in a student’s journey when recognising that they cannot cope with a particular difficulty on their own can be the first step towards change.
“The moment a student decides to seek support often marks the beginning of a significant change”, says Dr Raquel Ornelas Azevedo. By seeking help, the student finds “a safe space where they can reflect on their difficulties and challenges and develop tools to cope with them”.
It is precisely in this decision that one of the most important aspects of psychological support lies: creating the conditions for the student to stop silently grappling with what is troubling them.
It is not about eliminating all difficulties or seeking immediate answers to every problem. It is about creating a space for listening and reflection that enables us to better understand what is happening and to find healthier ways of dealing with challenges.
Promoting mental health in higher education should not be seen solely as the responsibility of psychology departments. It is an issue that involves the entire academic community.
Lecturers, students, support staff and institutions can all contribute to creating environments where talking about emotional difficulties is seen as natural, and where seeking help is regarded as just as normal as seeking academic support.
Prevention, raising awareness and mental health education are, in this regard, fundamental. The greater students’ ability to recognise signs of psychological distress, understand their emotions and be aware of the resources available, the greater the likelihood that they will seek help in good time.
The challenge, therefore, lies in building universities where success is not measured solely by grades, credits earned or entry into the labour market, but also by the ability to nurture individuals capable of looking after themselves, others and their own well-being.
Dr Raquel Ornelas Azevedo’s message is clear: “Seeking psychological support is an act of self-care; it is an investment in well-being and personal development”.
During a university journey marked by challenges, expectations and important decisions, no one should feel they have to face it all alone. Mental health cannot be seen as a secondary issue or as a concern reserved for times of crisis.
Asking for help means acknowledging that there are difficult times. It means accepting that we do not always have all the answers. And, above all, it means understanding that looking after your mental health is also a way of looking after your future.
Author of the news article: Ana Catarina Nogueira
Source document:
Direção-Geral da Saúde & Federação Académica do Porto. (2023). Saúde de Qualidade - Compromisso para o Ensino Superior. https://www.dgs.pt/ficheiros-de-upload-2013/apresentacao-referencial-saude-de-qualidade--compromi…
Ordem dos Psicólogos Portugueses. (2026, 12 de junho). As necessidades de saúde mental no ensino superior são permanentes e o trabalho iniciado tem de continuar. https://www.ordemdospsicologos.pt/pt/noticia/6308
Riva, E., Lister, K., & Jeglinska, W. (2024). Student and staff mental well-being in European higher education institutions - Analytical report. Publications Office of the European Union. https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2766/933130