Mental-Health Problems and Students

The facts and figures about mental-health problems on our campuses are sobering. When the American College Health Association's National College Health Assessment surveyed college students in the fall of 2006, 78 percent reported having felt very sad at least once within the preceding 12 months, 42 percent felt so depressed it was difficult to function, 9.4 percent had seriously considered attempting suicide, and 1.4 percent had attempted suicide. Fourteen percent of women and 10 percent of men reported feeling hopeless nine or more times.

Similarly, respondents to the 2007 National Survey of Counseling Center Directors reported that almost half of their student clients had severe psychological problems, and close to 8 percent had impairments so serious that they could not remain in college, or could do so only with extensive psychological or psychiatric help. On the 272 campuses surveyed, almost 2,000 students were hospitalized for psychological problems in 2007. Read the article in the Chronicle Review April 18.