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Talking about Mental Health in College – Q&A with Richard Kadison, MD from Harvard University

Maria Pascucci, president of Campus Calm, had the opportunity to speak with Richard Kadison, MD, about why high schools and colleges are seeing an increase in the number of stressed out students struggling with mental health issues. Kadison is the head of the Mental Health Service at Harvard University Health Services and the author of College of the Overwhelmed: The Campus Mental Health Crisis and What to Do About It. Kadison has specialized in campus mental health and student mental health treatment throughout her career.

Quiet campus: Why are college campuses experiencing an increase in the number of students with mental health problems?

Kadison: There are many reasons why we are seeing an increase in the number of students with mental health problems. We see more students who are diagnosed with serious problems in high school and are doing well enough to make it to college. That is a group. I think there is the millennial group of students with what are described as helicopter parents hovering over them and basically making decisions for them. You know the old metaphor of teaching people to fish instead of fishing. I think there is a lot of fish casting in high school. Kids are also being moved from one activity to another, as if they are building their college resume and they don’t have a lot of free time and aren’t really passionate about things.

Quiet campus: How important is lack of sleep, proper nutrition, and playing exercise for students who are stressed?

Kadison: Lack of sleep, I think, is a big problem. College students sleep an average of 6 1/2 hours each night and definitely experience symptoms of poor sleep, which wrecks their immune systems, affects their academic functioning, and makes them more susceptible to depression and bipolar disorder.

Exercise is another big problem. There is good evidence for milder forms of depression; four 30-minute days of cardiovascular exercise work just as well as antidepressant medications. Many students get busy, stop exercising and eating healthy, become more depressed, have a harder time doing their work, then begin to stress and have a harder time sleeping. They enter this vicious cycle.

Quiet campus: What role does perfectionism play in the lives of stressed students? How does the Harvard Counseling Center treat academic perfectionism among students?

Kadison: Certainly that’s a big problem here and I would say most elite schools. I spoke to the directors of the other ivies. There are two great impulses. I would say that one is trying to create a balance in the lives of the students. They need to take care of themselves. Working all the time is not the best way to live. Have conversations with them about excellence versus perfection and work hard and try to focus. But no test, no course, no situation is going to make or break your life. Lives take twists and turns that none of us expect.

Number one: you need to learn to be resilient. Number two: learn some stress management techniques and skills because what you have in high school and college is not going to change once you get out into the real world.

Quiet campus: Who do you see more: boys or girls who outperform? Is it true that women seek help more than young men? Why or why not?

Kadison: In terms of more women seeking attention, I think it’s probably because women are more in tune with their emotions. There is less stigma. I don’t think the numbers are different, it’s just that men aren’t always wise enough to talk to someone about it.

Quiet campus: How do you work to help students find meaningful ways to base their identities beyond grades and awards?

Kadison: That is exactly the challenge. These are people who realize who they are: we all have flaws, we all make mistakes, and we all do things we wish we hadn’t done. The key is to really know yourself, figure out how to accept yourself, and do the best you can. Get students to focus on the outdoors, again in balance, to get involved in their community. There is growing evidence that the more students are doing something to help their community, like working with high school kids or volunteering somewhere, those students have far more satisfying experiences in college than students who are completely self-focused. themselves. You are creating an environment that is highly encouraged and rewarded.

Quiet campus: Do you think our current academic culture learns to make mistakes and fail for sure?

Kadison: Well, I think part of the process is really educating the entire community. It’s not just the students. We try to conduct outreach activities and provide consultation to faculty, staff, and residential personnel. However, the reality is that if the culture in the lab is that the teacher is in the lab until 3 a.m. and expects everyone else to be there until 3 a.m., that’s not a healthy message for students.

I think mental health advocacy groups are a good idea because students listen to other students more than other professional adults. Having advocacy groups so students can hear that getting depressed in college is nothing to be ashamed of and it’s very treatable if you come and talk to someone about it.

Quiet campus: Is an ivy league education always the best way to succeed?

Kadison: I believe that students can get an excellent education at any school. There are students who come here to Harvard and they don’t get a good education because it doesn’t suit them. Being around other bright people who are totally academically focused doesn’t help them learn to create any kind of balance in their lives. That leads to disappointment.

Quiet campus: Many students view A’s and other academic achievements as stepping stones to a good college, a good graduate school, a good job, and ultimately a happy life. Does our society place too much emphasis on this one path to happiness and prosperity?

Kadison: As for students who see grades as stepping stones, I think that’s true. There is some reality there and it is also a problem. I think to some extent this depends on the college admissions folks, that leading a balanced life and being involved in the community is just as important as being academic. Do other things that you are passionate about.

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