Presentation offered for students at Kenston High School addressing possible mental health impacts of the college application process and considerations for students with existing mental health conditions as they begin the transition to college.

1. Mental Health Issues
for the Soon to Be
College Student
Stephen Grcevich, MD
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Northeast Ohio Medical University
Case Western Reserve University
Family Center by the Falls
Presented at Kenston High School
December 2, 2016

2. Does the prospect of applying to
college increase risk of depression?
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
Ages 12-13 Ages 14-15 Ages 16-17 Ages 18-20 Ages 21-25
Prevalence of Depression in Teens, 2014
% with depression
PEDIATRICS Volume 138, number 6, December 2016:e20161878

3. Mental health conditions are
common among teens…
Among U.S. children and teens
• 22% identified with at least one mental disorder
• 11% have been treated with ADHD medication
• 8-12% of teens experience anxiety disorders
• 13% identified with developmental disorders
• One in 68 are diagnosed with autism – the majority
have average/superior intelligence!

4. How the college application process
creates mental health issues…
• Kids with OCD who struggle to come to closure
on decisions
• Kids with anxiety prone to misinterpret rejection
• How are family members affected?
• Social media adds fuel to the fire

5. Considerations during the
college search process…
• Military academies, ROTC scholarships
• Some conditions are absolute exclusions (OCD)
• Medication-free if ADHD for at least 12 months
• Colleges with special supports for students
with identified conditions
• Landmark College (ADHD, dyslexia, autism)
• Autism-specific programming (Marshall, OSU)
• Learning differences (Mercyhurst, Muskingum)

6. Considerations for second
semester, senior year…
• Will I need mental health services in
college?
• Do I still need my medication?
• Might a different medication be a better fit
for me in college?
• Transitioning away from familiar
professionals

7. Once you’re accepted…
• Documentation required to support
accommodations in college
• Housing accommodations?
• Who will provide my mental health
services while I’m in college?

8. Once I’m in college…
• Medication issues
• Getting my medication at college
• Keeping medication secure at college
• What do I do if I need help?

9. Confidentiality at college…
• FERPA
• Applies to education records, including records in
counseling centers
• Covers grades, accommodations, academic standing
• Parents can access information if they claim you as a
dependent
• HIPAA
• Covers protected health information
• Parents only get information in emergency situation, if
student is danger to self, others
• Parents may get “EOB” when insurance is billed for
healthcare services
• Parents, family, friends may share information with
mental health professionals without your permission

10. Finding mental health
services at college…
• Student health centers/counseling
services
• Counseling/therapy vs. medical services
• Practitioners in the surrounding
community

11. Primary concern of students seen
in college counseling centers

12. Service limitations of college
counseling centers…
• 37% of counseling centers impose limits on
number of sessions
• Of centers with limits on sessions, 63% limit
sessions to 12 or less
• 30% of counseling centers have NO psychiatric
services available

13. Ten common warning signs of
a mental health condition…
• 1. Feeling very sad or withdrawn for more than two weeks
• 2. Severe, out-of-control risk-taking behaviors
• 3. Sudden overwhelming fear for no reason
• 4. Not eating, throwing up or using laxatives to lose weight
• 5. Seeing, hearing or believing things that are not real
• 6. Repeatedly and excessively using drugs or alcohol
• 7. Drastic changes in mood, behavior, personality or
sleeping habits
• 8. Extreme difficulty in concentrating or staying still
• 9. Intense worries or fears that get in the way of daily
activities
• 10. Trying to harm oneself or planning to do so
Starting the Conversation: College and Your Mental Health, NAMI, 2015