US News

Mental illness up in college

Severe mental illness is on the rise on US college campuses, according to the American Psychological Association.

The number of college students prescribed psychiatric medicines has increased by more than 10 percent in 10 years, NPR yesterday reported, citing APA statistics.

Counselors also report an increase in the conditions’ severity. Researchers say one reason is that with more high-schoolers now under psychiatric treatment, many more teens with pre-existing conditions are attending college.

One positive finding is that while severe depression also appears to be going up, the percentage of students experiencing suicidal thoughts has declined dramatically in the last decade.