The Kids Are Not All Right: College Mental Health Needs an Intervention | Big Think
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- Опубликовано: 1 авг 2015
- The Kids Are Not All Right: College Mental Health Needs an Intervention
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Big Think and the Mental Health Channel are proud to launch Big Thinkers on Mental Health, a new series dedicated to open discussion of anxiety, depression, and the many other psychological disorders that affect millions worldwide.
In the fourth video in the series, Dr. Victor Schwartz of The Jed Foundation runs through some staggering stats about mental health in college. University students are, in general, a very stressed-out demographic. Factor in things like alcohol abuse, homesickness, and elevated risk for sexual assault, and you've got quite the cocktail for mental health issues. Does the typical college student, asks Schwartz, really understand the sort of care options available to her? One of the major challenges of college mental health care is encouraging students to step forward when they are depressed or suffering from anxiety. It's in everyone's best interest for mental health to be a big priority. The trick is to remove the stigma from the process.
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VICTOR SCHWARTZ:
Dr. Victor Schwartz is Medical Director at The Jed Foundation, which strives to promote emotional health and prevent suicide among college and university students. Dr. Schwartz has over 20 years of experience as a psychiatrist working in college mental health. He was medical director of NYU's Counseling Service, established a counseling center at Yeshiva University and was most recently University Dean of Students there. He was an original member of the American Psychiatric Association’s Presidential Task Force on College Mental Health and co-chair of the APA working group on legal issues in college mental health. Dr. Schwartz is a member of the Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry Committee on the College Student and has served as an advisor to Active Minds on Campus and Gun Free Kids. He is co-editor with Dr. Jerald Kay, of Mental Health Care in the College Community (Wiley, 2010). His work has focused on crisis management, legal issues and the community/public health model in college mental health.
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TRANSCRIPT:
Victor Schwartz: There’s no legal requirement for schools to provide health or mental health services to their students. Colleges do it because it’s the right thing to do and because it’s prudent. I think there’s a growing understanding and it’s something that we at the Jed Foundation are trying to really make schools aware of that it’s in the school’s and the student’s best interest to provide a really broad array of support services to their students. The more we can keep students on track doing well in school and getting to the graduation line, the better it is for everybody involved. One of the big challenges in providing services is that most schools actually provide these services for free. It’s very, very rare for colleges to charge for the mental health services. Of course students and their parents would say they’re charging plenty already. But services are usually provided without extra cost to the students and that creates a real challenge for the schools to balance the cost and benefit of the range of services they’re providing. The other challenge is that in the 18 to 25 year old age group many people have had either no experience with health or mental health care. People who’ve had experiences as teens often haven’t had the greatest experiences because they’ve often actually been forced into treatment or, you know, sent to treatment outside of their own will. So getting the people who need treatment into the system is often a very, very significant challenge. And then it’s a challenge for the system to have the resources, the personnel, the number of clinicians and visits in order to take care of everybody who needs care.
The one thing we do know is that college students drink more alcohol than their non-college attending 18 to 25 year old cohort. So clearly we know that college is a risk factor for increase in alcohol use. And there are a series of problems that are coincident with that and that does present a serious concern. We know about a third of college students will report an alcohol binge every two weeks or so. So that’s a really significant number and we know that there are a lot of negative consequences associated with especially the high intensity drinking that sometimes goes on. We know that there are fights that occur. Obviously car accidents that occur.......
To read the transcript, please go to bigthink.com/videos/victor-sc...
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Parents often do a poor job of easing their children into the adult and working worlds. It should be years-long and confidence-building process. Children don't magically mature and integrate into adult society at age 18.
The Illuminati Looks like someone's bitter because he turned out to be a failure in the real world. Sucks to be you bro.
No you don't. Stop being a bitter loser crying on the internet.
Lol, the "greatest generation". Yeah internment camps were great, right? And the lynchings? Now just bunch of lazy, old men and women mooching of the government through medicare and SS. They're causing all the financial troubles we have today.
..See, I can make a generation sound like they're shit too
But you're right, if everyone was held accountable at 18 we'd be a nation with much more firewood, and soldiers, and children with teenage parents. I agree.
Higher education and mental health is an illusion, while your rose colored glasses are crystal clear
The Illuminati TheSpazModic didn't say anything about beginning the process of easing children into adulthood starting a 18. He/she/it just said that 18 isn't a magical number where children suddenly become adults.
Suph373 wrong, advances in modern medicine and technology is what is collapsing America. Due to the baby boom and the advancement in medicine, people are living far longer than ever which is causing them to use up all their SS money that the government can no longer hold on to. Also, nobody "mooches" off the government. SS is all earned money, it is their own money being used. This doesn't even include the unnecessary wars started by Bush which caused the stock market to plummet either.
At 18, I graduated HS. Started working full time and started going to college full time. You are just part of the weak crowd with a weak mind. We ARE held accountable at 18, that's why we are considered an adult and any wrong we do goes onto our criminal records for the rest of our lives. You are part of this generation who feels they should be groomed and treated like a child even though you've become a man now. Grow up.
The comments in this video are a good illustration of why this video needs to be made. Depression and anxiety has been a major part of my graduate career, and I see it in so many of my peers. Nobody wants to talk about it because you are supposed to just grow up and deal with it but things just aren't that simple.
Akerfeldtfan Agreed! I do think that attitudes toward depression and anxiety are changing, albeit at a slow pace!
Akerfeldtfan Real life is hard...waaaahhh. Guess what? The reward for all of your anxiety and depression is death. Oh, and by the way, there almost certainly is no god or afterlife, so when you DO die (and you definitely will), that's it. Nothing. Cessation of existence.
So stop being such a whiny, pansy, assbag and have some fucking fun already!
ChaosmanOne
Wow. You sir are a genius. How come no one's realised this! All depressed people need to do is start having fun! Incredible!
ChaosmanOne Try harder.
Finnlander My point was more that these people don't ACTUALLY have depression OR anxiety and are in fact whiny, petulant assbags.
"He is mad because that is what people tell him and because he has been treated as such."
Michel Foucault - History of Madness
My college's "counseling services" are paid for through tuition and fees but they call it "free"
It's Jess Of course it is paid for somehow. Did you think therapists work for free?
Of course not, but I would appreciate if they would quit labeling it as free. It's disingenuous
Would "included in the price" suit you better? ;)
Hairsplitting in my opinion, although I can't deny that you're right.
Thank god my University does this. My anxiety spiraled out of control during my first semester
What are you studying?
Only a bachelor of business. lol
I'm constantly amazed at how mentally unstable our MONUMENTALLY privileged society is. It's sadly ridiculous that those who have opportunities, which literally billions of people will never have, manage to need "supplemental psychological support". That said, it's NOT surprising that more and more young people, these days, crumble in the presence of the heightened responsibility that comes with those opportunities, considering how few of them are taught responsibility BEFORE college.
OmniphonProductions just becouse we already have it very good doesnt mean we cant work on making it better, what kind of logic is "oh we already have collage, no need to actualy make it better"
cybercobra2 Oh, I absolutely agree that there is still room for improvement. I was just observing the monumental lack of perspective more Americans have about how great our "base line" of life quality is.
Yellow King I suppose it depends on how we define, "...work really hard." Since America's economy has moved from Agrarian to Industrial and most recently to Service, we are generally doing FAR less manual labor than we used to do. Granted many in America work long hours, but it's mostly (not entirely) computer based. Then, to relax at the end of the day, what do we do? Facebook, RUclips, email, gaming...computers.
Maybe our high levels of stress are related to hormones we no longer "sweat out" through the exercise that USED TO be a part of basic everyday life. Then again, maybe it's BECAUSE we are constantly on the go, never satisfied with what we HAVE, always working toward that NEXT thing on our bucket list; Americans aren't exactly great at stopping to smell the roses.
My overall point, however, was simply that...regardless of how hard we work and how much we accomplish...we collectively pay little attention to how great we already have it, and we are easily upset by not having/getting that which billions will never imagine.
my school was quick to diagnose me at 10 with A.D.D. and A.D.H.D. but only when I was 23 and had completely dropped out of school because of the problems I faced did I find out that I am Dyslexic, and my school teachers know about it and said nothing. I was told by my old 9th grade teacher that they would be fired if they told me that I might be Dyslexic. Collage is not the only place where there is a need for change.
The 18~25 demographic are really beeing infantilized nowadays. It's sad to see a generation stalling to get into adulthood and avoiding responsability for their actions.
ZeroHBR In those cases, the infantilizing has usually occurred from ages 0-18.
ZeroHBR Are you of the opinion that providing essential services means "infantilizing"? Or should college-aged folks just rub some dirt on the stress brought about via the increasingly competitive job market, staggeringly high student debt and inflation of all but wages?
ZeroHBR Infantilized? Or maybe its a realization of how fucked we are going into a world that the previous generation screwed up, the amount it costs to go to college or even live. Most millennials are working 2 jobs at a time to pay for all of this nonsense. And when they get out of college their situation doesn't seem to change because they are stuck in crushing debt, but they have no choice but to deal with because good luck getting by in this world without a college degree, like the last generation who had it fucking easy but didn't give anything back. Let's also not forget how wages stagnated and no longer keep up with inflation or productivity?
"Avoiding responsibility" is not something I would describe about this generation in the slightest.
***** you have to explain your question better.
as a foreigner who recently moved to the us, the educational system is excruciating
I felt like he was talking about me when he said that kids get bad experiences with mental health are are often forced into it.
The offspring? Anyone?
I was waiting for it lol
I hope that's what they are referring to, that would be awesome! But probably not ;( Big Think people are probably more stiff, "professionals" who listen only to operas and hate modern culture. Not that the videos aren't awesome!
I'm a uni student I have 1.5 years left and my anxiety/insomnia/binge eating is starting. If I didn't go gym I'd be a complete fat bastard and that would've pushed me into depression. Recently lost the most important girl I've ever loved second to my mum and I feel like my life is meaningless and I'm only 20. My heart and mind feels so heavy and talking about it doesn't help. Anyone have any suggestions?
Seb Reni yeah ,be patient
I'd say go get that girl you love back, man
That would be a starting point
Seb Reni Dont base your self esteem on aproval from woman (not even your mother, or other people btw), start there because that is !the! problem!! Write some goals and got get them..and read Nathaniel Branden
Unfortunately, there is only so much help that can be given online, but my life spiraled out of control in a similar way during my freshman year. This is what worked for me at least.
Find your friends, and stay close to your family. Show them what it is you need from them so they can help support you. Prioritize and take things one step at a time, focus on small goals towards the bigger one, whatever it takes to remind yourself that you are accomplishing things. Finally, try to find small things you can always enjoy: reading, a cup of coffee in the morning, ect.
And if all else fails, get help. There is nothing shameful about therapy.
I have same problem and im one year older than you. I quit university after studying it 1 year. Now i dont know what to do in my life 😲
I think the intervention required would be changing the university system and the root cause of the issues, not just increasing levels of support after the fact. I think our society has just become too accustomed to depression and stress in the school and work environment being accepted or at least expected but not actually changing the factors that are attributed to the distress in the first place. The box method of education is outdated and doesn't accommodate for the differences in our population from person to person beyond disabilities.
How about free tuition and we pay for these services if needed?
I've been to my college counselor multiple times to ask for anxiety help and every time they try and coax me into dealing with it myself. I fall the pieces in any class that requires on speech. Before I asked for help I gave a speech in my art class and asked to be the first to do it. So I absolutely tried to deal with it myself. It didn't turn out well. I just need some one on one speech instruction. But every time I talk to the counselor they just give me a sheet with some pointers. Maybe I'm just whining but it seems so counterproductive.
This upsets me greatly. The support services I had at UW Madison were woefully inadequate. I was screwed over many times by both faculty, professors, counselors, academic advisers and my experience was quite simply terrible and I didn't even drink, use drugs, or do any bad behavior. I was just a student trying to do well and the school basically took my money and shit on me. Literally none of my stress or problems were my fault. They were all external and directly from the school, but I can't sue. Seriously, don't go to UW Madison unless you know exactly what specific type of engineer you want to be. Their other programs are shit.
ITT: People who have no idea what it's like to be under pressure at school handing out advise or "wisdom" like they know exactly what it's like to deal with today's economy and labor pool or just "walking off" the pain like so many libertarians prescribe boot-strapping. Some of these "old timers" and lucky individuals need to admit when they're out of the loop and start listening to the experts instead of acting like they know better, which they simply do not.
Unfortunately drinking, drugging, partying and multiple sex partners take a toll on the mental health of our children caught up in the college milieu
I find it helps, actually
I immediately thought of The Offspring
I thought that moving out of the household's authority and comfort and into a new life of independence and maturity is supposed to be accompanied by some anxiety and struggle. If a person can't undergo this evolution stage by himself, he will carry along the weakness associated with being under the wing of a guardian. Offering psychological support will reinforce the person's dependence on guardians instead of liberating him from the trait that is mostly prevalent among helpless children and which is not supposed remain with older people. However comforting the idea of emotional or psychological support might sound, it will prove to be a hell of an obstacle in the way of one's maturity.
Involuntary detainment does more harm than good with patients that aren't suicidal.
I'm a current engineering student and the pressure is really not that bad. I'm at a "higher end" state school so I can speak to the Ivy League experience. Honestly you can't address the problem in college because it starts during the first few years of life where everyone in this generation are told how special and good at everything they are. Which is false, most people aren't very good at anything, and that's OK... that's why we work hard. is to BECOME special. The breakdowns in college come from kids who their whole life were misled(by a flawed grading system that rewards busy work as opposed to mastery, or by their parents, or the media) to think that they are the creme de la creme who come to find out that they are just a regular person.
*or weed.*...
across the board Americas mental health system needs a change up and attitudes towards it. This also goes for other countries also.
Finally I see a comment thread in which the users are actually commenting seriously about the video
And que the Fall Out Boy and/or Offspring song.
The numbers of mentally disabled teens these days is staggering, especially among the upper middle class. Of course colleges should adapt...
I just hope they don't foster these disabilities, if there's potential to cure any of them. If they disregard curing, they could create a wave of mental-health care dependant adults. Which is good for the health care industry (that can cost a lot of money) but bad for individuals who are seeking independence.
Some things I would suggest teaching to students a few years before they are ready for college would be family planning, money management and drug/Alcohol awareness as part of and Adult prep course.
Also Children becoming adults can get confused as to when they are supposed to be responsible. So an age of State adult could be set at 17.18 or 19 so that the world has to get the Then adult prepared for everything by that time.
Psychiatrist's will tell you early intervention will help however Psychiatric drugs are not that good as preventative drugs for preempting a problem before it happens nor are they that safe. Sometimes the side effects can be worse than the original problem and can effect one's cognitive abilities when learning. So a small amount should be used in most cases in conjunction with other support.
When going to college it can be hard to prepare ones concentration and memory to supplements that could help given by the doctor to help with concentration and memory of the student before such problems can get worse which can happen (as some people can loose confidence in their abilities and drop behind) would be High DHA Algae oil and Alpha GPC doing all the necessary research on these to supplements to make sure they are administered safely would be I think an extremely good thing as you could be significantly boosting concentration and memory of students, getting them through with higher grades and Improving confidence in ones learning.
These two supplement options are far more effective and safer I think from personal research than taking stimulants or pharmaceutical grade noo-tropics oh and cheaper.
Owe and sell little pots of heul.
Why am I saying that these three supplements would turn you student's into the best minds on Earth. lets do some reviews.
Ok ordinary fish oil supplements compared to High DHA Algae oil.
Ordinary fish oil supplements even the ones claiming to be high strength aren't that good and contain pollutants. High DHA algae is far more cleaner and a far better source with no fish guts where such is hard to assess how much DHA is actually in the capsule which is what makes all the difference with concentration as shown by much medical research notes around the world.
Now Why Alpha GPC why not another Choline supplements.
All other Choline supplements do not significantly aid Acetyl-Choline.
So why not Acetyl-Choline agonists.
Acetyl-Choline agonists as with most agonists drain over time your supply of acetyl-choline and thus become less effective over time and even dangerous.
This means that with Alpha GPC you get better memory for years after stopping
Why should a student not rely on stimulant's.
The problem isn't usually ones ability to stay awake it's ones ability to concentrate in such a way that the student can learn and perform. This effect is far better achieved by High DHA algae oil than modafinil and ritalin which both give you concentration but can effect over time your ability to retain the information and are no way near as good as HIgh DHA Algae oil.
Why Heul
Well Heul is useful simply to make sure you are meeting your nutritional needs which helps with digestion and ones ability to work amino acids as for the body to produce all the chemistry required to keep the body and mind healthy. Students can't always meet fully their nutritional needs and this makes sure you have. So that the student doesn't have to worry to much about the other things they are eating well it would still be wise to get some good range of fruit and veg into the diet as well.
College is illogical, so it's natural that you wouldn't feel right when attending. If someone asked you today if you would take out fifty to a hundred thousand dollars in loans so that you have permission to purchase an over-priced book and skim through it for three months at a time, you wouldn't even bat an eye. But we push our kids into this.
Signing up for college and getting financial aid/loans/scholarships was 100x harder than college.
While in college, it is important to ask for mental health help so that your university can expel you.
Wow, thank god someone has stepped up to offer a for profit service that takes advantage of the ridiculous hysteria of living well in our modern society. You sir are a corporate saint.
Darktoque get bent if you missed the sarcasm.
I hope someone else under stood the title as a Fall Out Boy reference... And I agree totally
warning reminder; the tune 'frontier psychiatrist' ..n subliminal preference on naming offspring...+ showtime n dexy's midnigt runners suggestions. adhd assistance would b an improvement... w/o the causal nessecity? ... my kid gets it based on made up problems one can justify by blaming me. i dont care. as long as they no poinst score on future budget
Wow, way to encourage the educational industrial complex. College students before didn't have mental health services; the only reason why colleges are implementing them is because they attract more students.
American college students (speaking as one) are just weak. They are not ready to enter the real world. They need shitty baby steps because they're not ready to take on the challenges of real life. Overall, this guy is arguing for a certain perception of college as well as mental health services provided by colleges. I guess I side with it if we accept the perception as college as some sort of "do whatever the hell and get away with it" period in an individuals life...
Little advice. Live off campus. If your living on campus you done fuked up.
The teachers are just marking teachers doesn't care about disabled students I was in special education for eight years in high school and no one cared about me I stayed at high school from 2007 all the way from 2014 I was 14 years old when I went to high school and I didn't graduate until the age of 21 The teachers doesn't really care I thought the staple students that just make your money and seriously this is why college don't except any disable soon it's because the school they give us iep diploma I signed up for college and the vice principal of the college that I went to she didn't except me because I have an IEP diploma do you can't do nothing with lep diploma I have been home now for four years and no teachers really cared about me
"All Right"? *Alright.
We're all just puppets on strings and another number maybe that's what's causing the college kids stress when they have to realize that
But don't blame the alcohol
The Offspring!!
Yeah sure the problem is alcohol.
Not leaving your kids alone in an industry that treats them like machines. Becoming an other number.
Want to fix the mental health and stress levels of students in the US? Make school free. Don't dump massive debt on young people. Duh.
Ha! Mental health problems while in college. Life's easy in college, are you kidding me? I think if anything I developed mental health problems when I got out and found out how much I owed in student loans...
YMMV. For many people, college is much more stressful than what comes after.
piratesfan22 congrats, your comment shows that you are part of the problem.
Feminist lies being repeated by a child hood hero this is very sad.
this is in the wrong direction. nothings wrong with the kids
put it at 1.25x, you're welcome
he looks heigh
The kids are not alright and it's because of the Universities. horrible episode