October 19th, 2009

Did you know that more college students than ever before are getting psychiatric help?

Reports National Public Radio:

They may not tell their roommates or even close friends, but on college campuses all across the United States, more students than ever before are seeking psychiatric help, according to recent national surveys of campus therapists.

And it’s not just for homesickness and relationship problems, says the University of Michigan’s Daniel Eisenberg. He directs the Healthy Minds Study, a multicenter study that queries counselors about, among other things, the prevalence of clinical depression, anxiety and eating disorders on campus.

“One of the questions is whether they’re seeing an increase in the number and severity of students with mental health problems,” Eisenberg says. “And over 90 percent [of college counseling services] are saying yes to that question.” Just one example: In 2007, around 15 percent of students reported having been diagnosed with depression at some point in their lives; that’s up from 10 percent in 2000.

Eisenberg and other experts say they haven’t yet teased out all the reasons behind the surge of mental health issues on campus, but think it doubtful that today’s teenagers are more psychologically disturbed than past generations. Other explanations seem more likely.

Better screening and earlier diagnosis of mental illness in high school and even before may be one factor, Eisenberg says.

“Especially when Prozac and other antidepressant drugs like that came onto the scene in the late ’80s and in the ’90s, the likelihood of teenagers getting treatment went way up,” he says. Now, many of those teens getting treatment are in college and are accustomed to turning to therapists for help.

Read more at NPR.