How Parents Can Identify Mental Health Problems in Their College Kids [Health.USNews.com]

As a parent, you’ve watched your child grow from infancy to adolescence and now your son or daughter is entering a whole new world. While most kids will get through college just fine, others find themselves on a different, more precarious path.

According to the latest results from the National College Health Assessment, many college students experience mental health difficulties. More than 1 in 5 felt overwhelming anxiety in the 12 months prior to the survey. In addition, 18 percent felt overwhelming anger, and nearly 17 percent felt so depressed they couldn’t function. About half found their academic responsibilities to be “traumatic or very difficult to handle.”

Despite this, most students – even those who experience major mental health issues – go on to graduate and live long, healthy lives. Many kids figure it out on their own. Some do it with the help of their friends or trusted faculty or staff. Almost all of them will rely on their parents in some measure.

In order to help, parents first have to know whether something is wrong, and identifying problems that deserve attention can be tricky. That’s because change can often be the first sign of a problem, and college is all about change. Your kid will learn new things, challenge your beliefs, go through cosmetic changes and likely date someone you do not like. While uncomfortable, these changes are nothing to worry about. However, some changes can signal real trouble.