（An interview with Ms Teng, a mental health consultant at NIT )
Students with mental health issues on college campuses are rising. To help students get a better understanding of the current situation, the reporter of NIT Post interviewed the mental health advisor on campus Ms. Teng Chong. (Z is short for the name of the reporter and T is short for Ms. Teng)
Z : Nice to meet you, Ms. Teng. Thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge on mental health. I am a reporter from NIT Post. In recent years, psychological disorders among college students have aroused wide concern. Would you please tell us what mental health actually refers to?
T : Nice to meet you, too. Mental health describes a level of psychological well-being, or an absence of a mental disorder. It may not only include an individual's ability to enjoy life, but can also be defined as an expression of emotions, and as signifying a successful adaptation to a range of demands.
Z : Ok, I see. What might be the possible causes of mental problems then?
T : A number of factors are involved. Young people may simply be unprepared to go away to college and cope with all the social, financial, and emotional pressures that are typically encountered at school. Many have never handled their own finances, or had much dating experience, or exposure to other values and behaviors, nor have they ever lived independently.
Z : Yes, they are faced with challenges in both study and life. As a mental health advisor on campus, could you tell us the major issues that students are confronted with?
T : OK, such as adapting to the new learning environment, the choice of transferring their major, conflicts between the ideal and reality, handling interpersonal relations, pressure of job-seeking etc.
Z : So how do you help them get out of depression? Could you give us an example?
T : Sure. Let’s take Liu for instance. She told me that she always felt inferior to others, so much so that she couldn’t sleep well.
Z : Inferior? Not very beautiful, don’t do well in her study, or …
T : She felt that she could not compete with others. Most of her classmates had received offers from campus clubs or organizations except her, no matter how hard she tried. She was very depressed and came here for help. I asked her what made you different from others. She considered for a while and said that she was very patient. I told her she could be stronger than others only depending on this feature. She understood and then threw herself into study in the following years. She did remarkably well in study, and was finally accepted by a university in Hong Kong. I am happy for her success.
Z : And so am I. The story of Liu told us that we should tell others what we’re really confused with, and seek help from others.
T : Yes, it is essential to take the initiative to reveal the problems.
Z：The last question for you—what can we do to improve the situation?
T：From my point of view, firstly, we should give full play of the function of the mental counseling office. Secondly, we should carry on the investigation of mental health conditions among freshmen, so that it can help to guard against some problems. At last, to strengthen the construction of campus culture is an affective way to create a good mental environment.
Z：OK. Thank you for joining us. Through this interview, we hope college students will have an in-depth understanding on mental health, and be able to cope with their own problems well.
