College Student’s Mental Health

1. College Student’s Mental Health

2. sNaUgHtyGrLe u there? GnArlyDudE Here. sNaUgHtyGrLe can we talk? GnArlyDudE 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… sNaUgHtyGrLe GnArlyDudE That sucks! Are you going to be okay? sNaUgHtyGrLe 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. GnArlyDudE Yea I have a ton of HUGE tests this week. sNaUgHtyGrLe i don’t have any tests. or papers. or a job anymore… or money… i am just worried.

3. sNaUgHtyGrLe my grandma died last week. but I barely knew her. GnArlyDudE Why did you stop taking your medications? sNaUgHtyGrLe i don’t have any money anymore… GnArlyDudE 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? sNaUgHtyGrLe GnArlyDudE Man GrLe you don’t seem like your normal self these days sNaUgHtyGrLe i know but i don’t know why??? GnArlyDudE I haven’t seen you in class all week. sNaUgHtyGrLe i know…

4. i just dont want to leave my bed anymore and i eat all day long… sNaUgHtyGrLe GnArlyDudE Have you talked with anyone about this yet? sNaUgHtyGrLe Like a counselor?! I’m not CrAzY!!! GnArlyDudE Well… maybe you could talk to Matt the RA dude, he seems like a cool guy? sNaUgHtyGrLe yea… maybe. GnArlyDudE I think you should. It couldn’t hurt? sNaUgHtyGrLe Idk. i am sure tomorrow I’ll be fine… peachy keen, you know? GnArlyDudE ‘common sNaUgHtyGrLe I will go with you to talk with RA Matt. sNaUgHtyGrLe ok but don’t tell my roommates. I don’t want them to think i am crazy too! ;)

5. Disorder Prevalence • Dr. Ronald Kessler from Harvard University found that 37% of people aged 15-24 years old have a diagnosable mental illness.

6. Resident Assistants = Doctors

7. Mental Health Disorders Anxiety Disorders Mood Disorders Personality Disorders Learning Disorders Eating Disorders • “…health conditions that are characterized by alterations in thinking, mood, or behavior associated with distress and/or impaired functioning.”

8. 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.

9. 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

10. Anxiety Disorders • 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.

11. 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 ofbreath, palpitations, chest pain, or discomfort, choking or smothering sensations, and fear of “going crazy” or losing control are present.

12. Mood Disorders • Major Depressive Disorder • Bipolar Disorder (Manic Depression) • Cyclothymic Disorder • Dysthymic Disorder

13. Mood Disorders Symptoms to be on the lookout for amajor depressive episodeinclude: • 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

14. Mood Disorders Symptoms to be on the lookout for amanic episodeinclude: • 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

15. Common Medications Disorder Generic Name Brand Name  Depression Citalopram Celexa  Fluoxetine Prozac  Paroxetine Paxol  Sertraline Zoloft  Bipolar Disorder Lithium Carbonate Eskalith, Lithotabs  Bupropion Wellbutrin, Zyban  Fluvoxamine Luvox  Valproic Acid Depakote  Anxiety Alpraozolam Xanax  Diazepam Valium

16. Personality Disorders • 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 Odd or Eccentric Dramatic, Emotional, or Erratic Anxious or Fearful

17. Personality Disorders • 30.8 Million American adults (14.8%) meet standard criteria for (at least) one personality disorder.

18. Learning Disorders • 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.

19. 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.

20. 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.

21. 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.

22. 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.

23. Mental Health Discussion Topic Movies • AS GOOD AS IT GETS                          • A BEAUTIFUL MIND              • BENNY AND JOON                              • A CLOCKWORK ORANGE                          • COBB                                        • CONSPIRACY THEORY                           • A DEADLY SECRET: THE ROBERT BIERER STORY     • ELLING                                      • FALLING DOWN                                • FORREST GUMP                                • GIRL INTERRUPTED                             • GOOD WILL HUNTING      • 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  

24. Campus Resources • Depression Questionnaire • Anxiety Information - reader/taping services- test accommodations- 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

25. What Can I Do When Referring to the Counseling Center Doesn’t Fit? • Educate Everyone • Try Not to Label • Talk to your supervisor • Know Your Student Code • Refer to Resources • Provide Students with Resources

26. 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-on-line.com/naf.html • National Institute of Mental Health: www.nimh.nih.gov • Obsessive-Compulsive Foundation: www.ocfoundation.org

27. 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

28. Submitted by Christina Marie Clark, Area Coordinator, University of Southern Indiana