Whether in college or not, most young adults in this country between the ages of nineteen and twenty-five meet the criteria for at least one type of psychiatric disorder. Some of the psychiatric disorders are mild, such as phobias; however a government survey found that a growing number of young adults experience some type of potentially serious psychiatric problem.
In December the Archives of General Psychiatry conducted a survey from Columbia University called the National Epidemiologic Survey. The study conveyed that many young adults were prone to alcohol related conditions and drug use disorders, as well as other issues that affect emotional health.
Although the study found that the problems were more prevalent among college students, their non-collegiate peers were also likely to have problems related to alcohol use and drug use. The survey found that drug use was more abundant with non-collegiate young adults, but the overall picture that the survey conveyed was that misery is largely an equal opportunity affliction, affecting more than one in ten young adult in America.
All too often the young adults don’t get help for their problems, and they are prone to depression, anxiety, phobias and various types of social disorders. The young adults of America face many questions such as “who will I be,” “will I make friends,” and “will I be successful at romantic relationships.”
There are all kinds of questions going through the mind of the young adult, not to mention the raging hormones. However, suicide, the third leading cause of death among young adults, is one-third lower among college students than it is among their non-collegiate peers.
The reason is not entirely clear, but studies have shown that, in general, higher education is often linked with better mental health. Mood disorders such as depression and anxiety affect slightly fewer college students than other young adults, researchers say.
This may not seem to make sense, especially in light of recent tragedies like the one at Virginia Tech, when a twenty-three year old student went on a campus rampage killing thirty-two people and eventually himself. However the survey revealed that although the problems of college students sometimes elevate to extreme levels, there are far more non-collegiate young adults that are facing psychotically unstable problems.
Although college counselors often suggest that students are more depressed than non-collegiate young adults, the evidence is clearly just the opposite. More young adults are on medication for some type of psychological illness today than ever before in US history. Some say this may be due, in part, to the fact that doctors have become more adept at recognizing and diagnosing the problems of young adults.
