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Systems and Models of Psychiatric Care for College Students

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College Psychiatry

Part of the book series: Psychiatry Update ((PU,volume 1))

Abstract

The systems and models of care for delivering psychiatric services at institutions of higher education (IHEs) are as diverse as college campuses and students themselves. The major determinants of college mental health services—and nonacademic student services in general—are (1) student demographics; (2) geography; (3) institutional size and setting; (4) budget and funding models; and (5) organizational structure. For mental health services in particular, affiliation with an academic or community medical center and the availability of off-campus resources are also significant determinants. In short, context is everything.

At the macroscopic level, systems of care reflect how college campuses are configured administratively, operationally, and philosophically to meet the mental health needs of students. At the microscopic level, models of care reflect the ways care and support are delivered individually to students: clinical or non-clinical; in person or remotely through telepsychiatry; by a physician or nurse practitioner; with or without measurement-based care; free or for a fee; and with or without access to specialists, step-up and step-down care; and so on.

The kaleidoscope of psychiatric care on college campuses today is a reflection of these many considerations. And while there is no single best answer for how services should be configured, guiding principles for improving access to psychiatric services have emerged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University Health Service, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Lindsey Mortenson M.D.

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  1. Lindsey Mortenson M.D.
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Correspondence to Lindsey Mortenson M.D. .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Michigan, Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan Eisenberg Family Depression Center, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Michelle B. Riba

  2. Counseling and Consultation Service, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA

    Meera Menon

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Mortenson, L. (2021). Systems and Models of Psychiatric Care for College Students. In: Riba, M.B., Menon, M. (eds) College Psychiatry. Psychiatry Update, vol 1. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-69468-5_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-69468-5_2

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