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| Polish-born psychologist Alina Heuvel counsels students who suffer from a range of mental health problems. `International students tend to be extremely goal oriented and sometimes they forget to nurture the social aspect of their lives,' says Huevel, who has lived in the Netherlands for the past ten years. Photos: Gijs van Ouwerkerk |
Psychologist Alina Heuvel, who practices at the SCS on campus, says, `It would be great if international students know we exist and take steps to come and talk with us because often they come to the Netherlands and they feel quite lonely.' She says most university students experience a crucial phase in their development between the ages of 19 and 25 when they try to discover their own identity and are highly focused on answering the question, `Who am I?'
A few years ago, she wrote two chapters for the handbook `De Draad van Ariadne (The Thread of Ariadne) a practical guide designed to train student advisors in each facility to recognize the signs and symptoms of students experiencing difficulties. The handbook discusses a range of psychological problems, such as depression, anxiety and personality disorders, autism and addiction. `Most personal problems lead to delays in study programs and student advisors are really the ones who are in a front-line position to identify psychological problems when they first begin,' says Heuvel.
Since its publication in 2005, the SCS has successfully used the handbook to give training and workshop sessions at the UT but also to student advisors at other universities throughout the Netherlands. `At the moment,' says Heuvel, `what is being developed at the university is to strengthen the student advisor position into more of a real function which will help to identify students who are experiencing study problems. Nowadays, it is possible for a student to not take one exam during the whole year and nobody will have noticed it. This type of behavior should send a strong signal to someone that a student is having problems.'
Many psychological problems are perceived negatively in society and sometimes a stigma is attached to seeking psychiatric help. As a mental health professional, Heuvel strongly opposes this view, `I think students are afraid to make an appointment because a lot of people hold the belief: “If I go to a psychologist then I'm crazy.” Actually, it helps to talk through your problems with a non-judgmental person who can help you find solutions and guide you back to a healthy mental state. Sometimes after only a few consultations, a student is back on track with their social and academic life. Dutch students already know the advantages of using our counseling services when problems crop up like feelings of stress, anxiety or coping with academic pressures. If you take into account how many Dutch students we consult in our daily practice compared with the number of foreign students, there are less international students who contact us, and I know they need the help.'
As part of the annual Guide to Higher Education, the Handicap en Studie survey carried out by Choice revealed that about fourteen percent of students in higher education can be classified as having some type of physical or psychological disability. As a result, these students were shown to have a higher dropout rate, nearly double among other students.
Heuvel wants to reassure students, who might be worried about privacy issues. `Consults are 100% confidential and free-of-charge. Only with a students' written permission are we allowed to disclose information about a patient. Everything you say, and even the fact that you've been to consult a psychologist, is confidential.'
For basic information about the services of SCS, visit the website:
http://www.utwente.nl/en/practical_information/campus_facilities/scs.doc/
Students do not need a letter from their general practitioner and can directly make an appointment with the SCS: 053-4892035.
