College
Student’s
Mental Health
u there?
Here.
can we talk?
Sure. What’s Up?
…i cant stand my life anymore… i never go
to class, i feel like i can’t keep up…I am so
outta control…
That sucks! Are you going to be okay?
yea… i just need to go c my shrink again. I
stopped taking my xanex two weeks ago,
and i am really worried about school.
Yea I have a ton of HUGE tests this week.
i don’t have any tests. or papers. or a job
anymore… or money… i am just worried.
my grandma died last week. but I barely knew
her.
Why did you stop taking your medications?
i don’t have any money anymore…
Oh. Then how’d you have that huge party
last Sat. at your apt?
well, that was the last of my fundage, and you
know, alcohol is a staple in college, right?
Man GrLe you don’t seem like your normal
self these days
i know but i don’t know why???
I haven’t seen you in class all week.
i know…
i just dont want to leave my bed anymore
and i eat all day long…
Have you talked with anyone about this yet?
Like a counselor?! I’m not CrAzY!!!
Well… maybe you could talk to Matt the
RA dude, he seems like a cool guy?
yea… maybe.
I think you should. It couldn’t hurt?
Idk. i am sure tomorrow I’ll be fine…
peachy keen, you know?
‘common sNaUgHtyGrLe I will go with you
to talk with RA Matt.
ok but don’t tell my roommates. I don’t
want them to think i am crazy too! ;)
Disorder Prevalence
• Dr. Ronald Kessler
from Harvard
University found
that 37% of people
aged 15-24 years old
have a diagnosable
mental illness.
Resident Assistants = Doctors
Mental Health Disorders
“…health conditions
that are characterized
by alterations in
thinking, mood, or
behavior associated
with distress and/or
impaired functioning.”
Anxiety Disorders
Mood Disorders
Personality
Disorders
Learning Disorders
Eating Disorders
Disorder Prevalence
• Eating disorders affect 5-10 million women
and 1 million men, with the highest rates
occurring in college-aged women.
• Suicide was the third leading cause of death
for those aged 15-24, and the second leading
killer in the college population in 1998.
• More than 30% of college freshman report
feeling overwhelmed a great deal of the time.
About 38% of college women report feeling
frequently overwhelmed.
Common Mental Disorders
• Major Depressive Disorder: 9.9 million
• Dysthymic Disorder: 10.9 million
• Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: 5.5 million
• Social Phobia: 5.3 million
• Generalized Anxiety Disorder: 4.0 million
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: 3.3 million
• Panic Disorder: 2.4 million
• Bipolar Disorder: 2.3 million
• Schizophrenia: 2.2 million
Anxiety Disorders
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Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Panic Disorder
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Social Phobia (or Social Anxiety
Disorder)
Women are five times as likely to have anxiety disorders.
Panic Attacks
• …a discrete period in which there is the
sudden onset of intense apprehension,
fearfulness, or terror, often associated with
feelings of impending doom. During these
attacks, symptoms such as shortness of
breath, palpitations, chest pain, or
discomfort, choking or smothering
sensations, and fear of “going crazy” or
losing control are present.
Mood Disorders
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Major Depressive Disorder
Bipolar Disorder (Manic Depression)
Cyclothymic Disorder
Dysthymic Disorder
Mood Disorders
Symptoms to be on the lookout for a major depressive
episode include:
• Depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day
• Loss of pleasure or interest in activities
• Weight loss or gain / decrease or increase in appetite
• Insomnia or hypersomnia everyday
• Feelings of worthlessness / excessive or
inappropriate guilt
• Inability to think or concentrate / indecisiveness
• Recurrent thoughts of death or suicide ideation
Mood Disorders
Symptoms to be on the lookout for a manic episode
include:
• Inflated self-esteem or grandiosity
• Decreased need for sleep
• More talkative than usual
• Flight of ideas or racing thoughts
• Distractibility
• Increased goal-directed activity
• Excessive involvement in pleasurable activities that
can have negative consequences
Common Medications
Disorder
Depression
Generic Name Brand Name
Citalopram
Celexa
Fluoxetine
Prozac
Paroxetine
Paxol
Sertraline
Zoloft
Bipolar DisorderLithium Carbonate Eskalith, Lithotabs
Bupropion
Wellbutrin, Zyban
Fluvoxamine
Luvox
Valproic Acid
Depakote
Anxiety
Alpraozolam
Xanax
Diazepam
Valium
Personality Disorders
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Paranoid Personality Disorder
Schizoid Personality Disorder
Schizotypal Personality Disorder
Antisocial Personality Disorder
Borderline Personality Disorder
Histrionic Personality Disorder
Narcissistic Personality Disorder
Avoidant Personality Disorder
Dependent Personality Disorder
• Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder
Personality Disorders
• 30.8 Million American adults (14.8%)
meet standard criteria for (at least) one
personality disorder.
Learning Disorders
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Dyslexia
Dyscalculia
Dysgraphia
Attention Deficit
Disorder
• Attention Deficit
Hyperactivity
Disorder.
• Two-thirds of high
school graduates with
learning disabilities were
rated "not qualified" to
enter a four-year college.
• Only 13% of students
with learning disabilities
have attended a 4-year
post-secondary school
program within two
years of leaving high
school.
Eating
Disorders
ANOREXIA NERVOSA
BULIMIA NERVOSA
BINGE EATING
• 8 million Americans suffer from anorexia or bulimia.
• All eating disorders are psychological disorders, which
can be treated effectively through psychological,
nutritional and medical care.
• The weight loss industry nets over 33 BILLION dollars
per year.
• 11% of female college students suffer from bulimia.
• Most people who have an eating disorder have very
low self-esteem and look to others for approval. Food
and their weight are the few things they feel that they
can control in their lives.
• Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any
psychological disease.
• 10% of teenagers with an eating disorder are males.
Common Myths
• Myth #1: Psychiatric disorders are not true
medical illnesses like heart disease and
diabetes. People who have a mental illness
are just "crazy."
• Myth #2: People with a severe mental illness,
such as schizophrenia, are usually
dangerous and violent.
• Myth #3: Mental illness is the result of bad
parenting.
Common Myths
• Myth #4: Depression results from a
personality weakness or character flaw, and
people who are depressed could just snap
out of it if they tried hard enough.
• Myth #5: Schizophrenia means split
personality, and there is no way to control it.
• Myth #6: Depression is a normal part of the
aging process.
Common Myths
• Myth #7: Depression and other illnesses, such as
anxiety disorders, do not affect children or
adolescents. Any problems they have are just a part
of growing up.
• Myth #8: If you have a mental illness, you can will it
away. Being treated for a psychiatric disorder means
an individual has in some way "failed" or is weak.
• Myth #9: Addiction is a lifestyle choice and shows a
lack of willpower. People with a substance abuse
problem are morally weak or "bad".
• Myth #10: Mental illness only affects people in rich
countries.
Mental Health Discussion
Topic Movies
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AS GOOD AS IT GETS
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A BEAUTIFUL MIND
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BENNY AND JOON
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A CLOCKWORK
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ORANGE
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COBB
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CONSPIRACY THEORY
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A DEADLY SECRET: THE ROBERT
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BIERER STORY
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ELLING
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FALLING DOWN
FORREST GUMP
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GIRL INTERRUPTED
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GOOD WILL HUNTING
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THE HOURS
IRIS
K-PAX
MUMFORD
NIXON
OF MICE AND MEN
THE OTHER SISTER
RAIN MAN
THE SHINING
THE SILENCE OF THE
LAMBS
SILENT FALL
THE SIXTH SENSE
SLING BLADE
UNITED STATES OF LELAND
Campus Resources
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• Depression Questionnaire
reader/taping services
test accommodations
• Anxiety Information
tutor referral
note taker supplies and copy services
advocacy and counseling
faculty/staff consultation
resource materials
referral to community agencies
sign language services
temporary disability parking
group educational presentations
facilitation of adaptive equipment requests
orientation presentations
What Can I Do When Referring to
the Counseling Center Doesn’t Fit?
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Educate Everyone
Try Not to Label
Talk to your supervisor
Know Your Student Code
Refer to Resources
Provide Students with Resources
Resources
• National Mental Health Association: www.nmha.org
• Anxiety Disorders Association of America: www.adaa.org
• The Anxiety-Panic Internet Resource:
www.algy.com/anxiety/index.shtml
• Panic Anxiety Education Management Services:
www.paems.com.au/index.html
• Anxiety/Panic Attack Resource Site: www.anxietypanic.com
• Freedom From Fear: www.freedomfromfear.com
• National Anxiety Foundation: http://lexington-online.com/naf.html
• National Institute of Mental Health: www.nimh.nih.gov
• Obsessive-Compulsive Foundation: www.ocfoundation.org
Resources
National Institute of Mental Health
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/nimhhome/index.cfm
Housing Pro- Scott M. Helfrich, M.S. Area Coordinator, Bloomsburg
www.reslife.net
http://www.borderlinepersonalitytoday.com/main/myths.htm
http://www.reslife.net/assets/docs/eating_disorders.doc
Submitted by
Christina Marie Clark,
Area Coordinator,
University of Southern Indiana