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[quote=Anonymous]Haven't read the replies, so my apologies if this reiterates any previous points. My insight as a 20-something year old, having gone through undergrad and grad school with depression, while also having access to any resources and/or treatment needed:

- Allow them to follow their instinct and support them, whether they opt to begin college staying home and taking classes locally or attending a school on the other side of the country; if they choose to stay home, they will likely gain the confidence and/or urge to go out and gain the "college experience" shortly thereafter; if they choose to go away to school, be prepared for it to work out OR not work out (for many it is not a linear process in which you go away and check off 4-years of undergrad as prescribed)

- Do not force them to go away if they truly do not express any interest in doing so as transitioning into college can be a challenge even for the willing, let alone the unwilling; the odds of a resentful student being left to their own devices in a new environment and yielding a positive outcome are not good

- As mentioned in the last point, do not leave them to their own devices (the prefrontal cortex - i.e., reasoning, is not even fully developed until 25+ years of age), they are not adults and there is little to be gained from learning how to cope with mental health the "hard way;" schools can offer great (or not so great) resources, but unfortunately those who need them the most are also those who are least likely to seek them out; in other words, I would err on the side of viewing school provided mental health services as a nice to have, but not necessarily a safeguard for mental health concerns

- In terms of location: for distance, 1-3 hours (a day trip) is ideal for being close enough to seek the comfort of home as needed, while also being far enough to experience being "away" at school; climate and weather - having done undergrad in VA and grad school in MA - being in the NE has a MAJOR influence on one's state of mind. NE winters are LONG, cold, and gloomy (do not buy the whole "oh, but the summers are to die for and make the winters worthwhile" - it's summer for like 3 months). While the frigid temperatures and overcast skies leave much to be desired, the true difference stems from the fact that the sun sets about an hour to an hour and a half earlier in Boston than in DC. It always feels like it's 5PM and it certainly makes a difference in one's mood, with or without medication.

In sum: time will prove to be key in letting the college experience play out as intended and the closer to home, the better

Best of luck! Things tend to work out as they should.[/quote]

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