Best Practices for Treating Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders | Part III: Colleges and Universities
This literature review is part three of a five part series that synthesizes the most current findings from peer-reviewed health journals and other literature relevant to treating mental health and substance use disorders. This section summarizes best practices for treating mental health and substance use disorders within colleges and universities, followed by a summary of considerations specific to the setting and/or populations served within the setting. For more information or to read the entire literature review, please click here.
Best Practices for Treating Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders in Colleges and Universities
For most young people who enroll in college, it is their first time away from home and away from the support of their established peer groups and family members (Fromme, Corbin, & Kruse, 2008). This adjustment can be overwhelming, as is the added full college course schedule and expectations to perform (Macan, Shahani, Dipboye, & Phillips, 1990). On top of that, individuals at this age are in a stage of development when they are introduced to often difficult realities of adult responsibilities (Arnett, 2000). Their cognitive and emotional capacities may be tested in confronting newly complex personal and social issues (Arnett, 2000). And some level of experimentation with risk behaviors becomes normative (Fromme, Corbin, & Kruse, 2008). Relatedly, the age at which most young people are in higher education is also the age of peak onset for mental health and substance use disorders (Kessler et al., 2007). Although these risks for students of traditional college-age are high, the college/university is also a setting in which there is typically access to treatment for mental health disorders, and the prospect for establishing life-long health promotion practices. Thus, college and university settings provide unique opportunity for prevention and early intervention efforts.
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