Richard Kadison, (2004), Chief of Mental Health, Harvard University describes rising rates of serious Mental Illness on university campuses, in order of common occurrence:

Depression- explosive growth in diagnoses & treatment, with SSRIs & other psychotropic drugs

Sleep Disorders

Substance Abuse including self-medication for other MH problems

Anxiety Disorders

Eating Disorders

Impulsive behaviors including sexual promiscuity & self-mutilation

Suicide

Isolation of Graduate Student Life adds to problems

- Graduate Student Perfectionism & one-sided view of self – “perfect” or “nothing”

- Stresses on Diverse Student Population & At Risk Groups

University of California Student Mental Health Committee. Final Report. 2006 

“Graduate students as a group have been identified as a population at higher risk for mental health concerns. The level of stress for graduate students is magnified by their relative isolation from the broader components of campus life, the intense academic pressures of their advanced studies, and the increased presence of family and financial obligations.” (p. 4)

Special populations with the graduate student population include:

International students less aware & less likely to use CMHS (Berkeley)

Females- report more emotional distress & less faculty contact than males (Berkeley)

STEM students less aware & less likely to access services during graduate school (UCI)

UC Report 2006 recognized as high risk: International students, LGBT and racial/ethnic minorities “who can feel alienated from general campus populations.”