Trends in college students’ mental health diagnoses and utilization of services, 2009–2015

Randomized Trial Examining Effects of Animal Assisted Intervention and Stress Related Symptoms on College Students’ Learning and Study Skills

“…College students are reporting high levels of stress, anxiety, and depression each year [1][2][3], which, according to some researchers, college administrators, and the popular media, constitutes a global 'college student mental health crisis' (e.g., [4][5][6][7]). Those concerns are informed by a wide variety of sources including reports of campus-based mental health service utilization [8,9], surveys of counseling center directors (e.g., [10]), and large-scale annual inventories of students' self-reported distress, psychiatric diagnoses and treatment, and academic impairment (e.g., [1,2]).…”

“…College students are reporting high levels of stress, anxiety, and depression each year [1][2][3], which, according to some researchers, college administrators, and the popular media, constitutes a global 'college student mental health crisis' (e.g., [4][5][6][7]). Those concerns are informed by a wide variety of sources including reports of campus-based mental health service utilization [8,9], surveys of counseling center directors (e.g., [10]), and large-scale annual inventories of students' self-reported distress, psychiatric diagnoses and treatment, and academic impairment (e.g., [1,2]). These reports share similar observations: students are seeking treatment at increasing rates [2,8] for more severe psychological problems [10], and of the small portion (12 to 15%) of students who complete their college's annual health survey (e.g., [1]), many report 'more than average' (45.1%) or 'tremendous' (12.7%) stress in the previous year [1] (p. 39), while the majority report feeling 'overwhelmed by all you had to do' just in the last 2 weeks (54.7%).…”

“…Those concerns are informed by a wide variety of sources including reports of campus-based mental health service utilization [8,9], surveys of counseling center directors (e.g., [10]), and large-scale annual inventories of students' self-reported distress, psychiatric diagnoses and treatment, and academic impairment (e.g., [1,2]). These reports share similar observations: students are seeking treatment at increasing rates [2,8] for more severe psychological problems [10], and of the small portion (12 to 15%) of students who complete their college's annual health survey (e.g., [1]), many report 'more than average' (45.1%) or 'tremendous' (12.7%) stress in the previous year [1] (p. 39), while the majority report feeling 'overwhelmed by all you had to do' just in the last 2 weeks (54.7%). A substantial number of students indicate academics (48.2%), finances (31.3%), sleep difficulties (30.9%), intimate relationships (29.6%), and family problems (28.3%) to be 'traumatic or very difficult to handle' [1] (p. [36][37].…”

Mapping Occupational Therapy Practice with Postsecondary Students: A Scoping Review

“…Support personnel also includes staff in offices of disability services, student health and wellness, assistive technology, and/or student success. These personnel are crucial in helping students graduate, but with more students with disabilities progressing to postsecondary studies and an increase in mental health challenges, the ability of current services to address the needs of students adequately is limited (Oswalt et al, 2018).…”

Creating a Culture of Wellness: A Call to Action for Higher Education, Igniting Change in Academic Institutions

“…Obesity has surpassed tobacco as the number one cause of preventable death and disease in the United States (Cleveland Clinic, 2017). The rate of mental health conditions is increasing among college students, with top diagnoses being anxiety, depression and panic attacks (Oswalt et al, 2018). Suicide is now the second leading cause of death in the United States among college students (CDC, 2017).…”