Making a Mental Health Plan for College
LaPorshia McBeth, PMHNP-BC, Right Track Medical Group
The transition from high school to college student should be an exciting rite of passage for any young person.
Unfortunately, for many, this major life step often comes with increased mental health struggles, including stress, anxiety, depression and substance abuse. In fact, according to the mental health non-profit Active Minds, 39% of college students experience a significant mental health event.
It does not have to be this way, however.
“Taking the time to make a mental health plan can help ensure a student’s well-being is prioritized and they know how to seek support when they leave home,” said LaPorshia McBeth, PMHNP-BC, a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner with Right Track Medical Group’s clinic in Starkville, Miss., which serves student patients from Mississippi State University.
Here are 6 steps to get the planning process started.
1. Start preparing early.
Making a mental health plan shouldn’t be a last-minute task.
“Parents should start the conversation by their child’s junior year, when they’re really starting to think about where they want to go to school,” McBeth said. “It also helps to make the psychiatrist or therapist that has been treating your child a part of the process.”
According to McBeth, this process should include:
Ensuring the young person fully understands their condition — what it is called, how to talk about it, what can potentially trigger it.
Making them responsible for their medication. “This starts with knowing the names of their prescribed medication, their purpose, their side effects and their schedule,” she said. “From there, parents need to get their children in the habit of administering the medication themselves and ensure they are comfortable calling in for refills.”
2. Weigh the mental health pros and cons of each school.
Everything from a school’s distance from home, to its size, to its academic and social climate, can impact a student’s mental health.
“Students need to consider what is good for their mental health as much as they consider what is good for their major,” said McBeth. “For example, students who struggle with anxiety may not do well at school with a sprawling campus and a large student population. It can be overwhelming. A smaller school may be a better choice.”
3. Research on-campus support options.
Mental health support continues to improve across many college campuses. According to a 2019 report from the American Council on Education, 43% of college and university presidents said student mental health and well-being was part of their strategic plan, driving many to reallocate or identify additional funding to address the issue.
Despite this push, however, not all options are created equal — and it’s important to explore what each school has in place.
“Find out whether or not the schools you are considering have on-campus mental health support, such as a student counseling center,” said McBeth. “If so, you need to ask questions to find out if the available services will meet your needs.”
Some of the specific questions to ask, according to McBeth, include:
How many individual sessions are available per student, and at what cost?
Are students able to pick or change their therapist or counselor?
How long is the typical wait for an individual session?
Are there emergency or walk-in hours?
Do students have access to a psychiatrist on campus or via referral to psychiatrists in the community?
Do they offer different forms of therapy, such as group therapy?
Do they offer medication management?
What insurance is accepted?
4. Research off-campus support options.
If the schools under consideration do not offer mental health services or do not provide the necessary support, it’s time to look at what’s available in the surrounding community.
“The larger the town, the more likely there will be accessible mental health services available,” said McBeth. “But, then you must figure out when you can get an appointment, what the costs are and if they accept your insurance. Whether you are getting support on campus or off, there are a lot of questions that need to be asked — but it’s worth the effort.”
At the same time, students who go off-campus for mental health treatment will need to be sure they have reliable transportation to and from their appointments.
5. Create a psychiatric medical summary.
The JED Foundation recommends creating an easily accessible, electronic psychiatric medical summary to provide to the campus counseling center or to have on hand in case of emergency. These summaries can include the student’s:
Psychiatric diagnosis
Medical conditions
Outpatient treatment history
Other treatments
Allergies to medications, current medications and past medication trials
Diagnostic studies such as lab work, EEGs, brain scans, psychological/neuropsychological testing
6. Rely on trusted adults.
When students make the move to college, they don’t always have regular access to the same support system as when they were in high school and living at home. That’s why it is important to identify a network of trusted adults who students can turn to when needed. This list can include counselors and therapists, as well as coaches, professors, academic advisors and family friends.