The Chicago Tribune (9/24, Pattani) reports that more than ever before, students “are entering college with pre-existing mental health conditions, and medication can be an important component of their care.” Many students, however, “stop taking medications when they arrive on campus – the exact moment their stress” increase. As a result, there “can be a resurgence of mental illness symptoms, side effects students don’t realize can occur from the sudden stop, and in the worst cases, self-harm and even suicide.” As to why the students stop taking medications, reasons range from stigma, lack of daily parental supervision to ensure the medication is taken, and “facing a new environment with new schedules and priorities.”
Related Links:
— “Some students quit mental health medication when they get to college. Here’s why that’s so dangerous, “Aneri Pattani, The Chicago Tribune, September 24, 2018.