Colleges that provide good environment for kids with depression
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Anonymous
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Look into the SALT program at University of Arizona.
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Anonymous
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I would look for a college in a metropolitan area where doctors are plentiful and there are lots to do - versus rural areas. Small campuses in rural areas can be a big negative.
Most colleges have pitiful mental health/counseling services. Something to keep in mind. Large colleges have the potential to swallow up kids, maybe a small/medium school where people know her name would be better. |
Anonymous
Our friend’s son had the exact opposite experience at JMU. He is an introvert and a bit eclectic. He found that the bulk of the student body was filled with extroverts with similar interests. He never found his “people” and ended up coming home with extreme depression. He felt really isolated there. In fact, when he first went there, our DD’s reaction was “he is going to hate it there” and JMU was a place she seriously considered for herself and where many of her friends went. |
Anonymous
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New poster. OP, some good advice so far. I wanted to add: Do not hesitate to ask frankly and up front about mental health services. Most every college now will say, we're very aware, we look out for students, etc., but do extra digging if you can find online parent forums or Facebook groups etc. And at the same time, keep in mind constantly that people who post complaints or kudos are going off only their own experiences (just like here). Visiting is crucial and be sure to visit different sizes of colleges/universities. Im interested to see posts that huge JMU has done well for some PPs kids, so you can't always assume that larger is less supportive.
Wherever your DC looks, find out if the housing office truly communicates with the office that handles mental health. Friend's DC with diagnosed MH issues known to the college has had problems with lack of coordination between housing and the office that works with students on MH issues. I don't want to disclose details or college name here but let's say that the housing office put roommates in with friend's DC who should not have been rooming with the DC, and housing office claimed it had run this by the college's MH staff (as it was supposed to do in this DC's case) -- that was not true. If your own DC legitimately needs a single or shouldn't be in certain housing situations, you and DC will have to be very assertive about that or DC will need to be able to advocate with the housing office on her own when away at college. Also consider colleges that guarantee on-campus housing all four years, if that would alleviate stressors like dealing with a landlord, shopping and cooking, dealing with roommate/housemate issues, etc. This may all be fine for your DC, but if those things would create stress and distract from academics, think now about whether it would be preferable to have on-campus housing and a meal plan beyond just freshman year. I'd also look for locations near good medical and MH care that is covered by your insurance, so rural colleges might be ruled out on that score. You don't have to pick a college IN a city to be near good care, though. Depending on the situation, a student with MH issues might benefit from a gap year doing something that really is of interest, builds confidence, builds skills, or whatever is needed. I know one family where a DC did a gap year after HS to get his feet under him and focus on his therapy and ensuring some changing medications were working well, plus he pursued a serious activity and continued some studies on his own (lived at home FYI). Totally depends on the kid, though. He did go to college the next year and was more confident and calmer about the idea of being away from home than if he'd gone directly to college out of HS, according to his folks. |
Anonymous
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Think ahead of time whether your student will have access off-campus to mental health professionals, if needed - whether your insurance will cover that, and availability (less likely in small rural towns, perhaps). A number of schools are finding their mental health staff overwhelmed right now with the number of students with issues, and sometimes can have long wait times for non-emergency appointments for mental health. If you can plan in advance that if your student needs to see someone, they can see someone in town off-campus, and maybe even research some names in advance, that could be helpful in reassuring yourself and your student that you'd have an avenue for assistance available in case it was needed.
https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/evjqwz/college-mental-health-center-wait-times "More than 160 colleges and universities had waiting lists for counseling services during the 2017-2018 academic year, according to a report from the Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors (AUCCCD). On average, students at these universities waited more than three weeks just for initial appointments, and their delays didn’t end there: Students often waited just as long or longer for subsequent sessions. Many waited far longer; a VICE survey of students at 77 colleges and universities across the country found that they often waited five, six, or even ten weeks just for initial appointments. Only a third of AUCCCD respondents reported having waitlists, but a 2017 report by Stat News found that they were present at some of the largest and most prestigious schools in the nation: the massive state universities of Michigan, Florida, and Indiana, and the world-renowned private institutions of Harvard, Columbia, and MIT. And it’s not just prominent universities that are feeling the strain of overwhelming student demand. Small liberal arts schools like Minnesota’s Carleton College and Jesuit universities like Nebraska’s Creighton also have wait times stretching weeks." |
Anonymous
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My niece who has had depression went to a SLAC in California. The sunshine was great for her, but it wasn't enough. She found a psychiatrist off-campus but it was difficult to get there without a car. Student counseling center was ok but not great. They could assess, but weren't very experienced at long term treatment. She's a fantastic student but almost dropped out - being away from home, living sort of on her own for the first time, a major that wasn't what she had dreamed of, switching majors, etc. all contributed. The good side of the small college was good relationships with professors and students, but there's only so much they can do.
She is okay now, graduated with honors. But it was dicey for several years. I guess there's no perfect formula. If she had it to do over again, would have gone to a sunshiney place, similar size, but closer to home and in a place with easier access to counseling and psychiatry services. And ask a lot of questions of the school before you decide to go there. |
Anonymous
Your empathy is over whelming. |
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Anonymous
| My HS senior is a strong student who has battled depression. He has been treated with therapy only, and has not needed medication. He reduced his courseload significantly this Fall, instead of all IB/dual enrollment, he dropped his 5th year of language and chose an easier math class than the IB HL2 he was slated to take. This has made for a much happier child this year. He could have applied to much more challenging colleges than he chose to based on his stats. The things he realized in the search process was that he really preferred a smaller school in-state. We encouraged him to aim high, and choose some schools that he knew he would get into but also some that would be a reach. He ended up only applying to 3, 2 of which he got into easily, one we still do not know. His favorite ended up being a small liberal arts college. He ended up getting in, and into their honors and leadership programs and being able to interview for their Presidential Scholarship. What he told us was that it felt right, that all his interactions with students made him feel like it felt like home to him, and that he loved their facilities for his major and the professors he met. He became a different person every time we went there. He said "mom, I feel like I have already found my people". He will go next Fall, but so far, he seems to be so thrilled with his choice, and even more thrilled to know now. It is 3 hours away. For now, Grandma is 1 hour away. |
Anonymous
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So happy for you and your son.
Congratulations on focusing on his need not your own (or those of others you were trying to impress). |
Anonymous
I ask this question sincerely. Not a typically DCUM annoying responder. What small/medium schools are in metropolitan areas? There are so few. |
Anonymous
I already replied above, but our DC with depression was admitted to Haverford, Colorado College, Pepperdine, Rhodes and SMU (all in urban/suburban areas near large cities). Ended up choosing SMU. There are lots of urban schools. |
Anonymous
Macalester, Brandeis, Case Western, Emory, Spelman, Morehouse, Eckerd College, DePaul or Loyola (Chicago), Trinity (San Antonio), Drake (Des Moines), |
Anonymous
This sounds like Christopher Newport? If it is, our tour guide there talked about battling depression during her sophomore year. She wanted to drop out of school. She said the support of the professors and staff was what made her stay. Once she got through that, she did a lot better and is now a senior. |
Anonymous
Yes I’m bitter. My DD had a horrible freshman experience because the kid dumped on her. Told DD she wasn’t able to say anything because it’s a private health matter. Depression is contagious and while my DD got out of her funk after no longer rooming with roommate- it really wasn’t fair experience for DD. Freshman year GPA was 3.0 and other years hovered at 3.8. She told me later that she spent many many hours worrying about roommate self harm. |
Anonymous
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I work at a University. I find that a lot more kids who would when we were kids because of anti-depressants and other meds. Most schools who can afford to offer support. But it is on the kid to be able to seek it out.
Schools that are perceived as competitive can bring out the worst in everyone. But for kids with depression or low self-esteem, this can be particularly toxic. I highly recommend a well-funded school that does not have a reputation for being a pressure-cooker. |