Due to a high rate of mental illness found among the college population, the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill urges parents to talk to their children about mental illness before college and maintain an open dialogue throughout young adulthood. This recommendation follows the release of a new study, conducted by NAMI and Abbott Laboratories, which found a high incidence of mental illness among the college age population, yet a lack of education and understanding among both the students and their parents.

A key finding of the survey, administered as part of Bipolar Disorder Awareness Day, was the large number of students who reported an experience of symptoms associated with serious mental illness.

According to the survey:

— One in three students report having experienced prolonged periods of depression
— One in four students report having suicidal thoughts or feelings
— One in seven students report engaging in abnormally reckless behavior
— One in seven students report difficulty functioning at school due to mental illness

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    Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 26 Aug 2004
    Published on PsychCentral.com. All rights reserved.