Therapy for College Students - How to be Effective

Modern college students face mental health challenges - and can be helped.

College falls at a time during crucial human development. The human brain matures, on average, at the age of 25 with sound decision-making being one of the last strengths to solidify. The stressors of the current political climate, racism and discrimination, climate change, the pandemic, economic problems, and many other stressors face young people today. these challenges can affect the brain’s development, but therapy interventions can and do help.

According to an article in the journal, Psychiatric Annals by Skehan and Chan, the health of Millenials declined overall in the United States, with the most prevalent mental health challenges including major depressive disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorders, psychotic spectrum conditions, and substance use disorders including tobacco and alcohol.

According to Skehan and Chan, college-aged people have a prevalence of mental illness of 29.4%. The good news is college students view mental illness with decreased stigma, which increases the use of therapy, medication, and other interventions to help them in the midst of the current mental health crisis.

Skehan and Chan state: Popular interventions in higher education include peer and student support networks, such as Active Minds, which have been effective at reducing stigma and increasing knowledge about mental health (although their effectiveness during the pandemic with virus mitigation strategies such as social distancing, masking, and quarantine is less clear). In addition to peer programs, campus administrators can engage in strategic planning consultations with nonprofit agencies (eg, JED Campus program https://www.jedcampus.org/ to design intervention strategies, such as engaging faculty to identify at-risk students. Deliberate outreach from campus supports to special populations is critical.

The obstacles many students face, particularly Asian American students due to discrimination during the pandemic, indicate more difficult mental health barriers. In addition, students of color are less likely to get the mental health services they need. It is crucial that young people are engaged in therapy and that therapists are culturally trained and competent, and give attention to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.

The isolation of the pandemic further exacerbated mental health challenges for college students, and further broke down aid to socioeconomically challenged young people, those who had to leave school, and others who were more affected by the pandemic and the resulting health, economic and other difficulties.

Skehan and Chan summarize their findings: Mental health providers on college campuses will need to continue to innovate and engage the at-risk cohort with particular attention to developmental needs in this vulnerable population to maintain enrollment and graduation rates and improve functional adult outcomes.