| Maria Pascucci, president of Campus Calm, had the | | | | Campus Calm: Whom do you see more of: |
| opportunity to talk with Richard Kadison, M.D., about | | | | overachieving guys or girls? Is it true that women seek |
| why high schools and colleges are seeing a rise in the | | | | help more than young men? Why or why not? |
| number of stressed-out students battling mental health | | | | Kadison: In terms of more women seeking care, I think |
| problems. Kadison is the chief of the Mental Health | | | | probably that's because women are more tuned into |
| Service at Harvard University Health Services and | | | | their emotions. There's less stigma. I don't think the |
| author of College of the Overwhelmed: The Campus | | | | numbers are different -- it's just that men aren't always |
| Mental Health Crisis and What to Do About It. Kadison | | | | wise enough to come in to talk to some one about it. |
| has specialized in campus mental health and student | | | | Campus Calm: How do you work to help students find |
| mental health treatment throughout his career. | | | | meaningful ways to base their identities beyond grades |
| Campus Calm: Why are college campuses seeing a | | | | & awards? |
| rise in the number of students with mental health | | | | Kadison: That's exactly the challenge. It's people figuring |
| issues? | | | | out who they are -- we all have faults, we all make |
| Kadison: There are lots of reasons we're seeing a rise | | | | mistakes and we all do things we wish we hadn't |
| in the number of students with mental health issues. | | | | done. The key is really to get to know yourself, figure |
| We're seeing more students who get diagnosed with | | | | out how to accept yourself and do the best that you |
| serious problems in high school and they're functioning | | | | can. Getting students outwardly focused, again in |
| well enough to get to college. That's one group. I think | | | | balance, so that they're engaged in their community. |
| there is the millennial group of students with what are | | | | There's growing evidence that the more students are |
| described as helicopter parents who hover over them, | | | | doing something to help their community, like working |
| and basically make decisions for them. You know the | | | | with high school kids, or volunteering somewhere, those |
| old metaphor about teaching people to fish instead of | | | | students have much more satisfactory experiences in |
| getting them fish. I think there's a lot of handing out of | | | | college than students who are completely |
| fish that goes on in high school. Kids are also being | | | | self-focused. It's creating an environment where that's |
| shuttled from one activity to another, kind of building | | | | really encouraged and rewarded. |
| their college resume and not having much down time | | | | Campus Calm: Do you think that our current academic |
| and not really feeling passionate about things. | | | | culture allows kids to learn how to make mistakes and |
| Campus Calm: How big of a part does the lack of | | | | fail safely? |
| sleep, eating right and exercising play in students being | | | | Kadison: Well, I think part of the process is really the |
| stressed out? | | | | education of the whole community. It's not just the |
| Kadison: The lack of sleep, I think, is a huge issue. | | | | students. We try to do outreach activities and provide |
| College students are sleeping an average of 6 1/2 | | | | consultations to faculty, staff and residential staff. The |
| hours each night and they definitely experience | | | | reality is though, if the culture in the lab is that the |
| symptoms of sleep deprivation, which screws up their | | | | professor is in the lab until 3 a.m., and expects |
| immune systems, impairs their academic functioning | | | | everyone else to be there until 3 a.m., that's not a |
| and makes them more susceptible to depression and | | | | healthy message for students. |
| bipolar disorder. | | | | I think mental health advocacy groups are a good idea |
| Exercise is another huge issue. There's good evidence | | | | because students listen to other students more than |
| for milder forms of depression, four days of 30 | | | | other professional adults. Having advocacy groups so |
| minutes of cardiovascular exercise works as well as | | | | students can hear that getting depressed in college is |
| antidepressant medication. A lot of students get busy, | | | | nothing to be ashamed of and it's very treatable if you |
| stop exercising and eating healthy, get more | | | | come and talk to someone about it. |
| depressed, have more difficulty getting their work | | | | Campus Calm: Is an Ivy League education always the |
| done, then start stressing out and have more difficulty | | | | best way to reach success? |
| sleeping. They get into this vicious cycle. | | | | Kadison: I think that students can get a great education |
| Campus Calm: How much of a part does | | | | at any school. There's students who come here to |
| perfectionism play in the lives of stressed-out | | | | Harvard and don't get a great education because it's a |
| students? How does Harvard's counseling center deal | | | | bad fit for them. Being around other bright people who |
| with academic perfectionism amongst students? | | | | are totally focused on their academics doesn't help |
| Kadison: That's certainly a big issue here and I would | | | | them learn how to create any kind of balance in their |
| say, most elite schools. I talked to the directors of the | | | | lives. That leads to a disappointment. |
| other ivies. There are two major thrusts. I would say | | | | Campus Calm: So many students see straight A's and |
| one is trying to create some balance in students' lives. | | | | other academic achievements as stepping stones that |
| They need to take care of themselves. Working all the | | | | will lead them to a good college, which will lead them to |
| time is not the best way to live. Having conversations | | | | a good graduate school, then to a good job and, |
| with them about excellence versus perfection and | | | | ultimately, a happy life. Does our society put too much |
| working hard and trying to focus. But no one test, no | | | | emphasis on this one path to happiness and |
| one course, no one situation is going to make or break | | | | prosperity? |
| your life. Lives take twists and turns that none of us | | | | Kadison: As far as students seeing grades as |
| expect. | | | | stepping-stones, I think that's true. There's some reality |
| Number one: you need to learn how to be resilient. | | | | in there and it's also a problem. I think to some degree |
| Number two: learn some techniques and skills to | | | | this is up to the college admissions folks, that leading a |
| manage stress because what you have in high school | | | | balanced life and being engaged in your community is |
| and college isn't going to change once you get out into | | | | just as important as being successful academically. |
| the real world. | | | | Doing other things that you feel passionate about. |