Mental health | UniSC | University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia

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Mental health

UniSC has face-to-face and online support to help you if you are struggling with your mental health. Don't be afraid to reach out. It is ok to not be ok.

What is stress?

Stress is the body’s reaction to any kind of demand or pressure. It is experienced by most people at some stage in their life and although it is normally perceived as having a negative influence, it can be positive if you are in physical danger. Too much stress can impact your daily functioning, including relationships, health, and mental well-being.

What are the signs/symptoms?
Some common signs are
  • Lack of motivation
  • Sleeplessness or oversleeping
  • Moodiness – anger, irritability, depression
  • Headaches
  • Muscle aches and pains
  • Heart palpitations
  • Stomach upsets
  • High blood pressure
  • Concentration or memory difficulties
  • Feeling overwhelmed or anxious
  • Using alcohol or other substances to cope
  • Increased eating, drinking or nervous
    habits
What can cause stress?

Stress is experienced when the demands of a situation eg study or work pressures, financial problems, relationship difficulties, etc) outweigh your perceived capacity to meet those demands. Risk factors which interact and contribute to experiencing stress include:

  • biological factors, e.g .genes, poor health, or some medications;
  • social factors, e.g. lack of social support
  • psychological factors, e.g. low self-esteem, negative beliefs and thinking style, unhelpful coping strategies; and
  • person-environment fit, e.g. a creative person working in a job that is very structured and systematic may be more prone to experiencing stress
Things that can help
Quick fixes
  • Breathe deeply
  • Relax your muscles by stretching or standing/sitting up straight
  • Step back from what you're doing and/or what’s stressing you
  • Laugh
Examine the stressful situation
  • If the stress is due to factors in the environment that can be changed, be assertive and change them 
Lifestyle changes
  • Exercise regularly
  • Have low or no intake of alcohol and caffeine
  • Engage in enjoyable activities
  • Have adequate sleep
  • Eat a healthy diet
  • Include relaxation and meditation exercises in your daily routine
Talking
  • Helps release negative feelings
Cognitive strategies
  • Recognise and challenge unhelpful thoughts (e.g. "I can’t cope", "I can’t handle this")
  • Find evidence for when you have coped in the past
  • Identify alternate more helpful (but realistic) thoughts to what’s going for you
  • Using milder wording can help neutralise your experience (e.g. "I don’t like traffic. It makes me annoyed," is a lot milder than "I hate traffic! It makes me so angry!")
Managing Stress - Brainsmart - BBC

Stress is all too natural. But here are some tips for keeping it under control.

Managing Stress - Brainsmart - BBC

How do I know when I need professional help?

When stress is affecting your studies, work, home life or relationships, psychological assistance should be considered. Free counselling services are offered through Student Wellbeing and alternatively, your doctor (General Practictioner) can provide you with a referral to a private psychologist in the community. For more information on this process, visit the Better Access Initiative.

Audio clips

The following links have relaxation audio clips that can help you de-stress.

What is depression?

Depression is a word that is used in everyday language to describe sadness, frustration, and disappointment. These symptoms are experienced by everyone at some time in their life, however, this is different from the clinical condition also known as depression. This condition is more intense, pervasive and long-lasting and interferes with day-to-day functioning.

It is estimated that 1 in 4 people experience significantly depressed mood at some time in their life. Any kind of person can be affected by depression – introvert/extrovert, young/old, male/female. So this means that anyone can experience depression and that you are not alone.

What are the signs/symptoms?

The key symptoms that last for at least two weeks include one or both of:

  • Feelings of sadness, emptiness or lowered mood that lasts for most of the day, nearly every day
  • Loss of interest in activities that were previously enjoyable, like going out, seeing friends, or pursuing interests and hobbies
 Other symptoms can include
  • Significant changes in appetite and/or weight in the absence of dieting
  • Difficulty sleeping or excessive sleeping
  • Lethargy
  • Restlessness
  • Fatigue and loss of energy
  • Feelings of worthlessness, helplessness or hopelessness, or excessive guilt
  • Trouble concentrating or making decisions
  • Decreased interest in sex
  • Thoughts of suicide or a feeling that life is not worth living
What can cause depression?

For some people, stressful life events might trigger depression. For others, there is no obvious cause. However, depression is never caused by only one thing – it is thought that a combination of factors must interact for a person to experience depression. These include biological factors (such as genetics, hormones, and brain chemicals) and psychological factors (such as thinking patterns and stress).

Things that can help
  • Making lifestyle changes, including regular exercise, having low or no intake of alcohol and caffeine, engaging in enjoyable activities, improving time-management skills, and having adequate sleep
  • Understanding how you experience depression personally
  • Actively challenging the symptoms of depression to improve coping strategies
  • Using support networks – friends, family, treating doctor, or community service
  • Mindfulness techniques that help redirect your attention to the present moment, rather than focusing on the past
How do I know when I need professional help?

If low mood persists for over two weeks and is affecting your studies and personal life, psychological assistance should be considered. Student Wellbeing offers free counselling sessions to UniSC students. Alternatively, your doctor (General Practitioner) can provide you with a referral to a private psychologist in the community.

For more information on this process, visit Better Access Initiative.

Where do I go for more info?
Websites
  • beyondblue — Telephone: 1300 224 636
  • headspace — Australia’s National Youth Mental Health Foundation, providing assistance for individuals aged 12-25
  • Lifeline — A 24-hour counselling, suicide prevention and mental health support service. Telephone: 131 114
  • sane — Provides information on depression and other disorders. Telephone: 1800 187 263
  • Reach Out — Online youth mental health service that provides factsheets, tools, apps, community forums, stories, videos and more.

Explore more community resources.

What is anxiety?

At some stage in their life, everybody has experienced feeling nervous and/or has worried about something. This is a normal response when under pressure. However, for some people, these anxious feelings, thoughts, and physical symptoms are overwhelming and persist to the point that they significantly interfere with their daily life.

Any kind of person can be affected by anxiety – introvert/extrovert, young/old, male/female. So this means that anyone can experience anxiety and that you are not alone.

What are the signs/symptoms?

Although people’s experience of anxiety may differ, a common feature is a feeling of stress or worry that is excessive or uncontrollable. Other symptoms may include:

  • difficulty concentrating
  • shallow breathing
  • restlessness
  • avoidance behaviour
  • rapid heartbeat
  • trembling or shaking
  • feeling lightheaded or faint
  • numbness or tingling sensations
  • upset stomach or nausea
  • sweating
  • physical tension
  • sleep disturbance
What can cause anxiety?

Although the causes of anxiety are not clearly understood, there are many factors that may increase your chance of developing anxiety. These include:

  • Biological factors, such as genetic predispositions or poor physical health.
  • Psychological factors, including low self-esteem, unhelpful coping strategies (eg avoidance), or direct or indirect messages from others that the world is threatening or that worry is useful.
  • Social-environmental factors, such as marriage breakdowns, study deadlines, financial hardship, or past experiences of traumatic events.
When does anxiety turn into an anxiety disorder?

Although anxiety is a normal reaction to a stressful situation, it can become severe and cause significant distress or interfere with daily living. If this happens frequently or persists over a long period of time, it is important to see a mental health practitioner to be assessed for an anxiety disorder. There are many different forms of anxiety disorders including generalised anxiety disorder, specific phobia, panic disorder, agoraphobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), social anxiety disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Things that can help
  • Making lifestyle changes, eg regular exercise, low or no intake of alcohol and caffeine, engaging in enjoyable activities, improving time-management and sleep routines.
  • Understanding how you experience anxiety personally.
  • Actively challenging the symptoms of anxiety to improve coping strategies.
  • Using support networks – friends, family, treating doctor, or community service.
  • Mindfulness techniques that help redirect your attention to the present moment.
  • Meditation and relaxation techniques.
How do I know when I need professional help?

When anxiety is affecting your everyday living activities, psychological assistance should be considered. Free counselling services are offered through Student Wellbeing to all UniSC students. Alternatively, your doctor (General Practitioner) can provide you with a referral to a private psychologist in the community. Visit the Australian Government, Department of Health, Better access to mental health care: fact sheet for patients for more information.

Where can I go for more info?
  • beyondblue — Telephone: 1300 224 636
  • headspace — Australia’s National Youth Mental Health Foundation, providing assistance for individuals aged 12–25
  • Lifeline — A 24-hour counselling, suicide prevention and mental health support service Telephone: 131 114
  • sane — Provides information on depression and other disorders Telephone: 1800 187 263
  • Reach Out — Online youth mental health service that provides fact sheets, tools, apps, community forums, stories, videos etc.

Explore more community resources.

More information