STONY BROOK, N.Y. — The number of college students with severe psychological disorders is on the rise, in many cases overwhelming campus health services. In the weeks leading up to finals at Stony Brook University, counselors took multiple students to a psychiatric emergency room for suicidal thoughts or tendencies.
A recent American College Counseling Association survey found that 44 percent of students who seek help are suffering from serious psychological disorders, up from 16 percent in 2000. Of those students seeking help, 24 percent are on psychiatric medication, St. Louis Today reports.
Stony Brook University is facing an increase in demand for counseling services, but budget constraints have led to a 15 percent cut in mental health services in New York over the past three years. Jenny Hwang, the director of counseling at the university, has managed by limiting the number of counseling sessions per student and referring those in need of long time care to outside services.
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