What is mental health?

•Absence of mental illness

•Positive mental health

•Mental well-being

Characteristics of Mental Health (Hilgard & Atkinson, 1975)

• Efficient perception of reality• Self Knowledge• Ability to exercise voluntary control over

behavior• Self-esteem and acceptance• Ability to form affectionate relationships• Productivity

The Challenges of College

• The best years of your life? Expectations..• Even positive change is stressful• Greater academic demands• Unstructured time• Decreased adult availability• Being on your own in a new environment• Changing relations with family

Challenges of College: Choices

• Alcohol and other drugs• Sex-identity, values, practices• Food• Sleep• Balancing Academic and Extracurricular• Roommates

Common problems

• Relationship problems• Depression• Anxiety• Eating Disorders • Substance Abuse• Sleep Problems

Depression

• Common, often unrecognized• Emotional: sadness, loss of pleasure, feeling

hopeless/worthless, irritability, weeping• Mental: poor concentration,loss of interest• Physical: Sleep disturbance, appetite change,

“aches and pains”• Symptoms persist beyond two weeks

Anxiety

• Situational• Developmental• Generalized anxiety disorder• Performance• Panic disorder, OCD, phobias

Alcohol

Sleep Problems

• 35% of adult population experience insomnia• 11% of college students get a “good night’s

sleep”• Loss of cognitive functioning, driving• Increased risk of depression• < 7 hours yields sleep deprivation