HEC/News: The long reach of youthful angst (The Boston Globe)

HEC/News
Tuesday, February 3, 2009

The long reach of youthful angst
The Boston Globe (MA) February 2, 2009
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_
youthful_angst/

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Received on Tue Feb 03 2009 - 15:14:59 EST