by Casey Clark
Special to the Chronicle
It is that time of year again when classes resume and stress begins to take its toll on many students’ mental health and physical well-being. According to ActiveMinds.org, “more than 80 percent of college students felt overwhelmed by all they had to do in the past year, and 45 percent have felt things were hopeless.”
While mental health has become a more vocalized area of discussion, many people still refrain from going to see a psychologist or counselor as there is a lot of negative stigmata surrounding this topic. In addition to the Student Counseling Services here on campus which offers free workshops, supportive groups and individual one-on-one counseling, another resource that students can take advantage of is watching Kati Morton; a YouTube content creator.
Morton is a licensed marriage and family therapist from California who started making videos on YouTube five years ago talking about different mental health related topics including depression, anxiety, eating disorders, body dysmorphia and more.
Morton uploads weekly videos to more than 200,000 subscribers from their suggestions and even answers their specific questions in relation to mental health on her social media platforms including Twitter, Instagram and Patreon. Many college students feel alone in the battle against mental illness, but Morton provides helpful information about resources that students can take advantage of both on campus and off.
Morton has made several videos regarding staying mentally healthy while in college and provides tips on how to make sure students have a successful year. She suggests gathering a support system on or off campus, keeping in contact with family and friends, making sure the school is notified about specific accommodations, having medications prepared ahead of time and taking time out of each day to relax.
These pieces of advice can be extremely helpful to college students who tend to get overwhelmed with balancing coursework, social life and jobs in addition to their physical and mental health.
Not only does Morton do an excellent job of providing credible information to her viewers, but she provides links to resources with which people and students can contact providers that take their insurance and other reputable online support groups and websites that promote mental health.
In most cases, college students feel that they are alone in the battle against mental illness since it is not talked about a lot among peers and others in the community, but Morton takes on the responsibility of spreading awareness about mental health issues and does so in a creative way.
While Morton’s channel is not meant to replace making an actual appointment with a counselor, she can provide tips and information on how to relax, establish better relationships and increase academic performance which is important when dealing with the stresses of college.