Mental Health of College Students
This Editor’s Choice collection and others are available online in the Editor’s Choice section of ps.psychiatryonline.org.
The mental health of students is a significant concern on college campuses, with one in three college students meeting criteria for a significant mental health problem (as cited in Lipson et al., 2018). This burden is greater for community college students, with more than half screening positive for mental health conditions and only 30% seeking treatment (Lipson et al., 2021). Symptoms of depression and substance use are independent predictors of college retention difficulties, a fact that highlights the importance of mental health screening and treatment in this population.
The first section of this Editor’s Choice collection focuses on the prevalence and impact of mental illness in college students. The second section explores college mental health in specific populations, describing disparities in receiving care for students from racial-ethnic minority backgrounds, and includes an example of a potential solution: culturally informed programs. The final section highlights approaches to increase mental health service utilization among college students, including establishing a formal network of campus mental health clinics, improving support for mental health issues on campus, and leveraging digital interventions.
Treatment Needs
Mental Health Conditions Among Community College Students: A National Study of Prevalence and Use of Treatment Services
Lipson SK, Phillips MV, Winquist N, et al.
Psychiatr Serv 2021; 72(10):1126–1133
https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.202000437
Increased Rates of Mental Health Service Utilization by U.S. College Students: 10-Year Population-Level Trends (2007–2017)
Lipson SK, Lattie EG, Eisenberg D
Psychiatr Serv 2018; 70(1):60–63
https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.201800332
Discontinuous College Enrollment: Associations With Substance Use and Mental Health
Arria AM, Caldeira KM, Vincent KB, et al.
Psychiatr Serv 2013; 64(2):165–172
https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.201200106
Help Seeking and Mental Health Service Utilization Among College Students With a History of Suicide Ideation
Arria AM, Winick ER, Garnier-Dykstra LM, et al.
Psychiatr Serv 2011; 62(12):1510–1513
https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.005562010
Factors Affecting Mental Health Service Utilization Among California Public College and University Students
Sontag-Padilla L, Woodbridge MW, Mendelsohn J, et al.
Psychiatr Serv 2016; 67(8):890–987
https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.201500307
Specific Populations
Psychiatric Symptoms and Diagnoses Among U.S. College Students: A Comparison by Race and Ethnicity
Chen JA, Stevens C, Wong SHM, et al.
Psychiatr Serv 2019; 70(6):442–449
https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.201800388
Cultural and Developmental Principles for Asian American Women’s Mental Health: Lessons From AWARE on College Campuses
Hahm HC, Liu CH, Tompson MC
Psychiatr Serv 2020; 71(11):1199–1202
https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.201900593
Mental Health Treatment Seeking Among Veteran and Civilian Community College Students
Fortney JC, Curran GM, Hunt JB, et al.
Psychiatr Serv 2017; 68(8):851–855
https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.201600240
Treatment Landscape
Treat and Teach Our Students Well: College Mental Health and Collaborative Campus Communities
Downs NS, Alderman T, Schneiber K, et al.
Psychiatr Serv 2016; 67(9):957–963
https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.201500465
Unmet Mental Health Treatment Need and Attitudes Toward Online Mental Health Services Among Community College Students
Dunbar MS, Sontag-Padilla L, Kase CA, et al.
Psychiatr Serv 2018; 69(5):597–600
https://ps.psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.ps.201700402
Smartphone Apps for College Mental Health, Smartphone Apps for College Mental Health: A Concern for Privacy and Quality of Current Offerings
Melcher J, Torous J
Psychiatr Serv 2020; 71(11):1114–1119
