As fall approaches, new students will arrive on college campuses with all sorts of things: luggage and school supplies, mini-fridges and sports equipment. But in the midst of preparing for moving day, many haven’t considered what tools they’ll need to emotionally support themselves.
In other words, what can they do to protect their mental health?
in a 2017 poll of more than 700 parents and guardians, more than 40 percent said they did not discuss the potential for anxiety or depression when helping their teen prepare for college or postsecondary school. Additionally, most caregivers said that on-campus mental health services were not a priority when choosing a school.
But a large number of teenagers are struggling. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Preventionmore than 1 in 3 high school students experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness in 2019, which represents a 40 percent increase from 2009.
Once they arrive on campus, these problems don’t go away. A survey conducted in March by Within higher education and College Pulse found that college students were more than twice as likely to rate their overall mental health as “poor” (22 percent) versus “excellent” (9 percent).
and a new study Using eight years of data from more than 350,000 students at nearly 400 campuses, it found that the mental health of college students in the United States has been on the decline. More than 60 percent of students surveyed during the 2020-2021 academic year met criteria for one or more mental health issues, an increase of nearly 50 percent from 2013.
Experts suggest that parents and teens take proactive steps now to help plan for and preserve mental wellness during the big transition to college.
Connect early with the counseling center
Consider contacting the college counseling center before you arrive on campus. This is particularly important for those who already have an emotional disturbance or other mental health problem.
At SUNY Broome Community College in Binghamton, NY, the counseling center begins accepting registered students on August 1, one month before classes start.
“A lot of times, students who come to us early have a lot of stuff they need to unpack,” said Melissa Martin, licensed social worker and chair of counseling services at the school.
The Jed Foundationa suicide prevention organization that aims to protect the emotional health of adolescents and young adults, suggests by asking the school counseling center the following:
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What services are provided?
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Is there a maximum number of sessions allowed per year?
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Is there a counselor on call 24 hours a day? If not, what emergency services are available after hours?
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What accommodations are available through disability services for students with emotional disturbances?
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What is the school’s policy on taking leave?
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Are other types of support available, such as text lines or resident advisors?
Check to see if the counseling center provides off-campus referrals and make a short list of potential providers to have in your pocket before you arrive at the school. This is good practice for any student, as it may be necessary to seek outside support if the school’s counseling center develops a waiting list. It’s also helpful to familiarize yourself with your insurance plan to see what kind of coverage it offers. If you are not going to use your parent’s plan, compare campus health insurance with other available options such as those provided by the Affordable Care Act.
“I think it’s never too early to say, ‘Hey, I need help,’” Ms. Martin said. “You may not see anyone else asking for help, but they may not be talking about it.”
Studies have found that students of color are least likely white students to use mental health services offered on campus, in part due to the stigma associated with mental health care, but also due to a lack of diversity among counseling staff.
Those looking for a provider of color may have to shoulder the added burden of trying to find a therapist off campus, said Ebony O. McGee, professor of diversity and STEM education at Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College.
“That student may not actually do it, which opens up the possibility of resorting to unhealthy things,” he said.
Adopt other types of support
There are many resources available to students in addition to the counseling center. Tutoring, academic and peer counseling, educational training, student activities, and professional services can help support a student’s emotional well-being.
Connecting with other students is especially important, experts said.
“College students report that loneliness, isolation and feeling like they don’t fit in, those kinds of emotions are very common and challenging in their first year of college,” said John MacPhee, executive director of The Jed Foundation.
Spend some time observing the school’s extracurricular activities and clubs and thinking about how to get along with others while on campus. And consider having a roommate, even if you have the option of living alone, MacPhee added: It can broaden your social network and help buffer stressors.
Don’t discount high school friends or anyone at home (for example, a sibling, parent, or religious leader) who has been especially helpful.
“I often recommend making a list of the three to five most supportive people in your life,” Ms. Martin said. “And when you’re not feeling well at school, you know you can reach out to one of them.”
One way students of color can protect their mental health is by taking an ethnic studies or African-American history class and exploring some of the structural issues that contribute to stress, anxiety and depression, said Dr. McGee, who has study the emotional struggles experienced by high-achieving black students.
“When many black and brown students have mental health problems, it is often due to racial or gender experiences,” she said. “It’s about that environment that breeds alienation.”
Dr. McGee recommended finding spaces of comfort and understanding. “Go to places and spaces where you are affirmed and celebrated, and not just tolerated,” he said. It could be an extracurricular activity or a religious organization, anywhere he can find other marginalized students of color.
Practice basic wellness habits
In the summer before college, teens should take stock of how they eat, sleep and socialize, experts said, especially since they may have picked up some unhealthy habits during the pandemic. If a student’s basic needs are neglected, it becomes more difficult to cultivate a healthier state of mind.
Learning to support yourself and taking steps to become more independent can also make the transition to college less jarring. Before you arrive on campus, practice managing a budget; advocate for yourself with a teacher, doctor, or coach; or spending time away from your childhood home, perhaps with a relative or at summer camp.
Senior year can be “a fun ride,” especially during the Covid era, said Dave Anderson, a clinical psychologist at the Child Mind Institute, a nonprofit organization that provides therapy and other services to children and families with mental health issues. and learning. “It’s just ups and downs, disappointment and hopes, and trying to figure out where they’re supposed to be.”
He advised a teenage client (who had slept an average of five hours a night during his senior year) to start getting eight hours of sleep a night this summer and be mindful of how much time he spends in front of screens. Her client also started eating a healthier diet that included more vegetables and started exercising first thing in the morning because she knows her college classes will start later in the day.
Drinking is “another thing that we’ll be discussing very openly with teens during the summer before college,” Dr. Anderson said. Many high school students are already drinking alcohol socially with friends, he added, and in college they may feel pressure to drink heavily or “before the game.” But teens can mentally prepare for these and other types of circumstances, including drug use and sexual situations, by setting boundaries now.
“How can we make sure that this summer you set intentional goals related to your limits and what you feel is safe for you?” ask teenagers going to college. That conversation can sometimes make parents nervous, Dr. Anderson added.
“But if we can talk honestly with kids about that, they’ll be more likely to set those limits when they get to college because they’ve practiced.”
