6 Ways to Support Your College Student’s Mental Health

College marks a new beginning in a child’s life – for many it’s the first tentative steps away from the safety of their home. It is when a child becomes a young adult, and when they may quickly become aware that they are truly “on their own” for the first time.

With high school friends left behind, new social circles must be built from the ground up, roommate relations navigated and daily schedules created and managed with little – or no – supervision. For some, this transition is smooth. For others, it’s characterized by harsh, alternating states of enthusiasm, distress and confusion. It’s a vulnerable time that can take a toll on their mental health.

For many, the first signs and symptoms of mental health problems emerge during the college years. Nearly half of college students have a diagnosable psychiatric disorder, while one-third have seriously considered suicide, according to the Center for Collegiate Mental Health’s (CCMH) 2016 Annual Report.