The long reach of youthful angst

By Judy Foreman

"Whether in college or not, almost half of this country's 19-to-25-year-olds meet standard criteria for at least one psychiatric disorder, although some of the disorders, such as phobias, are relatively mild, according to a government-funded survey of more than 5,000 young adults, published in December in the Archives of General Psychiatry..."

"Some evidence suggests that college students may even be less miserable than their nonstudent-age-mates."

"Suicide - the third leading cause of death for teenagers and young adults, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - is one-third lower among the college than noncollege set, says Dr. Paul Barreira, a psychiatrist who is director of Behavioral Health and Academic Counseling at Harvard University Health Services..."

"It's not clear why, says Olfson, the Columbia University psychiatrist. 'College students may be more concerned' that if they seek help they might jeopardize career opportunities or academic achievement, though he adds that even so, 'colleges should make more of an effort to make services available and acceptable, particularly for alcohol use problems.' Living at home with parents seems to protect kids' mental health, whether they are in college or not, the study found..."

Full article available at http://www.boston.com/news/health/articles/2009/02/02/the_long_reach_of_...