Mental Health
Can more frequent use of social media lead to a higher risk of depression? A new study finds a correlation.
Increasingly, high schools are working to provide services for their students dealing with mental health issues. The Boston Globe reports on programs that have been successful in helping students get back into the routine of school after a deep depression.
When the University of Delaware’s Active Minds chapter set up its display of 1,100 backpacks to represent the same number of students who commit suicide each year, some students criticized the group for not providing a trigger warning.
Nearly one in three medical students is depressed, according to a global study of future health professionals. Authors argue that despite the stress of their schooling and future occupation, few programs do enough to ensure they receive the mental health services.
Researchers at the University of Virginia started collecting data on students who are in the Emergency Department of the hospital for suicide ideation and attempts. They concluded that “students presenting to the ED for psychiatric distress may benefit from therapy and psychiatric care through numerous avenues across the university and surrounding community.”
Sexual Assault
Students at Cornell share their stories from the “gray area” of sexual consent: when both people involved are under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
There are more women in graduate programs than ever before, but rates of sexual harassment are the same as they were 30 years ago, finds a study from the University of Oregon.
As universities adopt affirmative consent policies, college administrators and lawyers are faced with new questions about how to handle sexual assault cases.
Sleep
Scientists have identified the neurons in the brain that control sleep drive — a breakthrough that could significant help people who suffer from pathologic sleepiness or severe insomnia.”
A national campaign to treat drowsy driving like drunk driving kicks off with a conversation between HuffPost editor-in-chief Arianna Huffington, Harvard sleep expert Charles Czeisler, and Jay Winsten, associate dean for health communication at the Harvard Chan School.
Substance Abuse
Researchers studying alcohol education on campus conclude that alcohol education programs don’t decrease drinking for students involved in Greek life.
Inclusion on Campus
The Washington Post asks students around the District to define “microaggression,” “safe space,” and other terminology related to inclusion, the subject of recent activism and protests on campuses throughout the country.
New York Times opinion writer Frank Bruni argues for the importance of socioeconomic diversity in college and discusses how schools like Amherst College excel at bringing students from different backgrounds to their campuses.
