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Citation
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MacPhee J, Modi K, Gorman S, Roy N, Riba E, Cusumano D, Dunkle J, Komrosky N, Schwartz V, Eisenberg D, Silverman MM, Pinder-Amaker S, Watkins KB, Doraiswamy PM. NAM Perspect. 2021; 2021. |
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Abstract
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Suicide rates have risen among young people ages 18–25 in the United States over the past ten years (see Figure 1) [1]. Mental health concerns are on the rise as well, with more teens and young adults experiencing challenges such as anxiety and depression than in years and generations past [2,3]. Almost 30 percent of young adults ages 18–25 have had a diagnosable mental illness, and 9 percent have a serious mental illness, demonstrating a peak in past-year prevalence in this age range compared to older age ranges (see Figure 2) [4]. The median age of onset of most reported mental health problems occurs before age 25.
Nearly 20 million young people attend colleges and universities in the United States, making these institutions important potential “safety nets” to protect young adult mental health [7]. College enrollment has increased by 26 percent from 2000 to 2018, and is expected to continue to rise to close to 37 million students by 2029 [8]. The diversity of college students has grown over the past 25 years, to include higher representation of students of color [9].
In 2019, a reported 36 percent of undergraduate college students screened positive for depression and 31 percent screened positive for anxiety [10]. At some point during the year, 66 percent of students reported overwhelming anxiety, 56 percent reported feelings of hopelessness, and 45 percent felt so depressed it was difficult for them to function [11]. These rates were higher among females than males. Students of color face these and additional challenges associated with accessing care for mental health conditions. Rates of reported depression and anxiety were found to be higher among Hispanic/Latinx, multiracial, Asian/Asian-American, and Arab/Arab American students than national rates [12,13]. Access to care is also lower for students of color, resulting in lower diagnoses and treatment [14]. The quality of student mental health is predictive of persistence in college and other academic outcomes. Poor student mental health is associated with lower GPAs, discontinuous enrollment, and higher dropout rates [15,16,17]. The consequences of unmet mental health needs extends beyond educational ones to broader societal issues, resulting in issues such as disability, unemployment, poverty, and social isolation [18]. It is advantageous for colleges and universities to invest in student mental health for immediate and longer-term implications ...
Language: en |