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August 19, 2008Case Western Reserve University studies managing psychiatric meds in transition to college |
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From EurekAlert! - Breaking News: An increasing number of students are packing more than their computers and iPods when leaving for college. Case Western Reserve University researchers will survey incoming students on how they manage psychiatric medications in the transition from home to college. And once on campus, experiencing new freedom from supervision by mom, dad and hometown mental health providers in taking those medications may present an opportunity to experiment with stopping those meds. This has researchers and mental health counselors on campuses concerned about whether counseling centers are meeting all the needs of these students. The researchers will conduct a quantitative survey of 120 undergraduates and conduct intensive qualitative interviews with 15 first-year and 15 third-year students about their experiences with their illnesses and management of medications. Each of these undergraduates will be followed for two years, tracking their Case Western Reserve experiences with faculty, students and mental health providers. This will be one of the first studies to examine how this student group adjusts in the transition to campus life and independence where student face responsibility for their own care. Floersch said the students need to know it's okay to have the desire to experiment, but they need to let mental health counselors know about it and receive the appropriate help in arriving at that decision. "We're at a time when students are being diagnosed at a younger age with mental illnesses," said Floersch, adding that there is a critical need today to help students make the transition to managing their own mental health care.
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