Over the past several years, college campuses across the nation have experienced a consistent and dramatic increase in the number of students with severe mental health problems. The problem has become so prevalent that it has been frequently documented in major national news headlines, publications and websites, stimulated several specific national conferences, and it has even prompted federal legislation to address the issue. Why is this happening and what are the implications for the college campus?

This program will examine the changing trends in college student mental health and why it has important implications for the campus learning environment.

The program will look at such issues as:

• How to identify factors contributing to the changing student mental health trend
• How to recognize and respond to students who may be suffering from mental health problems
•  How to refer students for help
• How the increasing severity of mental health problems affect the campus learning environment
• How severe mental health problems affect the University
• How the challenges of student mental health problems are exacerbated by the status of  mental health care in America and the limited availability of mental health care beyond the campus borders