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Be True to Our Schools—Models of Care in College Mental Health

Current Psychiatry Reports volume 20, Article number: 72 (2018) Cite this article

Abstract

Purpose of Review

To review and synthesize the previous, current, and proposed models of care in college mental health in order to identify best practices that will address the mental health needs of today’s students. To highlight data that supports existing or proposed models and describe areas where more data is needed.

Recent Findings

Despite the potentially appealing attributes of integrated care, empirical evidence supporting these systems and structures in campus settings is mixed. Recent surveys show less than half of campuses have an integrated mental health care model. Overall, there is only partial consensus on optimal models of campus mental health care.

Summary

Mental health needs in college student populations are greater and more complex than ever. While the resources available are vast and varied, there is limited evidence to support which models and programs can best meet students’ needs.

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Fig. 1

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Acknowledgments

We appreciate the help and support of the National Network of Depression Centers (NNDC) college mental health work group, in particular, Susan Hinton and Drs. Leigh Anne White and Michelle Riba.

Author information

Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA

    Nancy Downs & Elyse Galles

  2. Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts, Worcester, MA, USA

    Brian Skehan

  3. Department of Health Law Policy and Management, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MI, USA

    Sarah Ketchen Lipson

Authors
  1. Nancy Downs
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  2. Elyse Galles
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  4. Sarah Ketchen Lipson
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nancy Downs.

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This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Complex Medical-Psychiatric Issues

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Downs, N., Galles, E., Skehan, B. et al. Be True to Our Schools—Models of Care in College Mental Health. Curr Psychiatry Rep 20, 72 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-018-0935-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-018-0935-6

Keywords

  • College mental health
  • Models of care
  • Collaborative care
  • Psychiatric treatment