NPR segment on the rising mental health crisis in college students (and their parents)

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/05/28/727509438/college-students-and-their-parents-face-a-campus-mental-health-epidemic

We need to do something to take better care of our youth and dial back the college application/stress madness

Not that I disagree with you, but the interview on Fresh Air had practically nothing to do with “the college application/stress madness.” The authors did not call that out specifically as a source of stress on kids. I think a fair interpretation of what they were saying is that we ought to try to dial back the expectation that they have to succeed at everything they do, and that they don’t have any margin for error. Also, that when they are feeling bad they should ask for help. But a lot of their talk and book reflects a common discussion here on CC: With some regularity, kids are melting down in college, for whatever reason. We can’t magically make all the problems go away. If it happens to your kid, here’s what to do . . .

I think what @jym626 is saying is that “the college application/stress madness” has a real impact on many high school students’ mental health, which itself is a key component of the college mental health problem, as described in this NPR segment. Students are “coming [onto] campus who are already being treated for mental illness… who have really learned to manage their illnesses at home, but suddenly they’re on their own” at college. I don’t know how to “dial back” the application madness, but I agree with the OP about the importance of taking better care of our youth as best we can, especially in the stressful environment of college applications.

Many assume that those with “white privilege” have it made. Well it also comes with very high expectations and pressures from parents, peers,and schools. See “Risky Business” for a light-hearted but real take on this. In 1983.

If they are coming onto campus already diagnosed, and already managing their symptoms well, it is not likely something induced by the college application process, though it might have been exacerbated by it. The real issue is that many of these students have had help managing their symptoms, and someone (or several people) who see them on a daily basis who are able to watch for warnings signs. They may have maintenance medications that are best taken at the same time daily, but they take at various time instead, or sometimes miss or skip them, and they don’t notice the issues that arise, where an outside observer would. By the time a roommate recognizes that it is more than something quirky, it may be too late to intervene.

Yes, it is simple to take your medication every night before bed - unless you’re not always going to bed…and with a more serious mental illness, not taking meds can lead to believing you don’t need the meds. Someone experiencing mania feels great, and might not recognize the danger until depression suddenly hits… or the mania causes them to make some foolish decisions.

I don’t think the stress of applications is as much a factor as learning to choose a school that is a good fit - one that has the resources to support a student with mental illness. Students and parents need to be aware of those resources, and colleges need to be supportive of communicating with parents when things are going wrong (including encouraging the student to sign and register the appropriate releases).

Believe me, it’s not just 18-20 year old students who are experiencing mental health issues. I deal with grad students, and there has definitely been an increase in mental health issues over the past few years. Frankly, we are having a very difficult time trying to deal with it.

Yes,@CardinalBobcat that’s exactly what I meant. Adolescent stress and mental health issues have been escalating. The college prep craziness is but one source of stress.

Yep, I’ve been beating this drum for a while.

*A new study in Nature Biotechnology warns, in no uncertain terms, of a mental health “crisis” in graduate education.

“Our results show that graduate students are more than six times as likely to experience depression and anxiety as compared to the general population,” the study says, urging action on the part of institutions. “It is only with strong and validated interventions that academia will be able to provide help for those who are traveling through the bioscience workforce pipeline.”

…The authors say they were alarmed to discover that that among graduate students with anxiety or depression, half did not agree that their immediate mentors provided “real” mentorship (about one-third of both groups agreed with that statement) …More than half of those who experienced anxiety or depression did not agree that their advisers or PIs were assets to their careers or that they felt valued by their mentor.*

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2018/03/06/new-study-says-graduate-students-mental-health-crisis

@warblersrule Interesting article. I was dismayed by the survey results that indicated that many of the grad students did not feel properly mentored and supported by the the ones who were supposed to be their immediate mentors.

I am wondering if kids planning on grad school would benefit from going to the same university as their undergrad so that they would be personally acquainted ahead of time with the professor who would be their mentor and know what sort of person they are. Also, if they stayed at the same place, they might retain some of their undergrad friendships. Social support seems to be a big factor.

Might be a segue but 2 HS I know of got rid of mid-terms and finals because the kids are too anxious. IMO, all that’s doing is setting them up for worse anxiety when they have to take these in college for the first time. Isn’t it pretty well settled that part of the problem is we aren’t letting the kids fail and learn how to pick themselves up and fix their mistakes?

Here’s the thing…many more kids are suffering from various forms of depression and mental health issues and many of them go to college. I really don’t believe college is appreciably more stress-packed than it was in the past…I just think it’s an ignition point for many of the reasons noted above – mostly kids on their own who aren’t able to cope with pre-existing conditions without their support systems.

But if the current generation has to achieve to higher levels in school etc. to get to the same level of career as their parents, wouldn’t that be overall more stressful?

A generation ago, it was more likely that a high school graduate could get an entry-level job and receive on-the-job training to progress in his/her career. Now, it is more likely that entry-level jobs that could lead to career tracks require a college degree as credential creep, or some other type of education, certification, or licensing at the job applicant’s expense. Some bachelor’s degree jobs have also increased their educational requirements (e.g. CPA prerequisites now include five instead of four years of college credit, and occupational therapy now requires a master’s degree).

@ucbalumnus I hear you but i honestly think the problem is electronics, social media, a disconnect from nature, nonstop devices, lack of authentic human connections and terrible loneliness. I rarely say that out loud because people say things like “parents were against Elvis too and see how dumb that was” as if it’s just a old-person affliction to worry about change. But given that depression is increasing worldwide…no matter the age of the person or whether they’re in college or not…I believe there are bigger issues afoot.

Every high school administrator I have spoken with has blamed the increase in depression and anxiety on social media.
I have to admit I don’t fully understand this.

The brain-based quasi medical disorders like schizophrenia and bipolar 1 (with psychosis) tend to appear around the age of early college and require a different approach.

Some depressions and anxiety are situational, and it can be hard to figure out which ones are clinical. I hope that colleges are making sure services are available, whether on campus or off.

https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2019/03/mental-health-adults

Cultural trends and social media are contributory factors, but apparently so is decreased sleep.

@SouthernHope – I think you are right. I’m not saying the world isn’t in a very stressful place, because we all know it is. But the things you list are weakening the coping abilities of all of us, but especially those who’ve never experienced life in a differently-mediated way.

interesting:

There’s almost universal grade inflation on college campuses today, so how could college life be more stressful? There’s certainly a wider dispersion of capabilities among students on most campuses than in years past. Does that perhaps contribute to some of them suffering from mental health issues? Harvey Mudd had a surge of mental health issues a couple of years ago after it relaxed some of its admission standards to improve diversity on campus. So college admission may indeed have something to do with the stress for some students?

At some of the more selective colleges, the dispersion may be lower than in years past as admissions gets more competitive. But then the increased competition may be selecting for students who are running faster and faster in the rat race.

More competitive admission doesn’t necessarily mean higher quality or more capable student body. Do these competitive colleges really produce, on average, better graduates today? Do they even produce better graduates in the top decile than in the years past?