Comments: The Age Of Anxiety: Let's Medicate The Freshmen
"Why did the mentally ill student receive no follow-up care before the crimes, even though he had received psychiatric treatment?"
You can lead a horse to water...
Most (if not all) universities already do a great service to their students by providing free or nearly free access to psychiatrists and therapists that you can see without having to let their parents know.
But this can only help as far as the student wants. If Cho didn't disclose the entire gamut of his problems (or did he even perceive them as problems?) while receiving care then there's not much anyone can do.
About the 25%... Are we certain that Nasrallah isn't counting SBD in that? I mean, if it's serious enough to take drugs for...
Posted by Jonathan Schnapp at June 25, 2007 07:57 AM
Scenario: Young person from an abusive home makes it through high school and gets into college. Once out of his or her abusive home he or she starts to deal with the psychological consequences of abuse and goes to a college counseling center. Under the new lack of confidentiality so many people want, college counseling center helpfully calls the students' abusers to tell them he or she is in therapy. Student's abusers stop payment on their tuition check or abuse student more when he or she goes home on vacation or generally make student's life miserable all over again.
With over 50% of people with SMI having trauma histories in our outside of their families of origin, this is not an unlikely scenario.
But we have thrown the baby out with the bath water and now every mental illness is purely biologically based and ever family of origin is loving and devoted to their adult child's best interest. Not.
Posted by Alison Hymes at June 25, 2007 08:03 AM
I'll assume that Nasrallah actually wrote the piece you referenced in the post. Unlike his stealth commercial for Geodon.
Posted by CL Psy at June 25, 2007 08:43 AM
Cha-ching!
Posted by flawedplan at June 25, 2007 02:31 PM
I think the key here is for the pharma-funded thought leaders to stop comparing a shooting rampage of 1 person to the general public. If in fact students knew Privacy laws could be bent in the case of mental health issues, it actually would prevent them from seeking help if they wanted it. Who the hell wants(ed)their parent to know they get birth control, have abortions or; get Ritalin and Seroquel in the counseling center? Take it to the next level of fear of privacy invasion when considering federal loans that pay for tuition. Forget mom and dad--most can't afford to pay for college--we should be concerned how far into the screening process and into the Government funded college tuitions it goes. My kids all went to college on FAFSA and if screening was mandatory for getting loans, it would be discrimination not prevention of a Cho tragedy. As far as the 50% of MI cases blamed on child abuse in the other post; maybe it should be a universal screening that includes mental illness, abuse and bad relationships and if any of that comes up, then red flag the student for a non-acceptance letter in the mail. If Cho worked at Walmart and wasn't a college student, this discussion would be about work place screening. I don't think we want it there, or in schools. Especially considering the lack of competent "screeners" out there, and of course Pharma's hand is always behind any "good for the public" screening tests. Hell most psychiatrist's use pre-printed paperwork left behind by the Pharma reps. One more thing, if a screening was required for college acceptance, parents wouldn't be able to sue: the student would sue--they are the legal adults in this discussion.
Posted by Stephany at June 25, 2007 04:19 PM
"Let's just skip the class and put Zyprexa in the college water supply."
It already IS in the water supply, along with contraceptive hormones, viagra, and cholesterol meds.
Perhaps they could institute a policy at colleges like in the movie "The Island" - sample their pee in the morning, and then deny them bacon, push protein, or require a yoga class to destress. Yeah, that'll make campus life better and safer.
Posted by Milehimama at June 26, 2007 06:41 AM