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The Parent Factor: Collaborating with Parents to Promote Mental Health Treatment

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College Psychiatry

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

Abstract

Parent involvement in their college student’s mental health has increased, perhaps in light of the growing number and complexity of mental health problems on campuses. Parents are more aware of mental health problems in the college population and expect campuses to provide services for their students. College psychiatrists and other psychiatric providers may find themselves collaborating with parents, after obtaining consent from the student, in a variety of situations: the student is experiencing suicidal thoughts; has been psychiatrically hospitalized; or has a serious substance use disorder that puts their life at risk. Even in non-emergent situations, parents can provide valuable information to the psychiatric provider regarding developmental and family history, and also serve as a source of support for the student. This chapter provides examples of how best to work with parents to promote safety and obtain the right level of treatment for the student. It also covers studies regarding parent involvement in college mental health, and reviews the changing laws and policies regarding communicating with parents with and without a student’s consent. Psychiatrists and other psychiatric providers should consider parent collaboration as part of the treatment plan when it will be clinically beneficial to student.

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    Author information

    Authors and Affiliations

    1. Student Health Care Center Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA

      Marcia R. Morris

    Authors
    1. Marcia R. Morris
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    Correspondence to Marcia R. Morris .

    Editor information

    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

    Appendix

    Appendix

    Glossary

    • FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act): A federal law that protects privacy rights of education records for students. This law affords parents the right to have access to their child’s education records; these rights transfer to the student when they turn 18 years old or enter a postsecondary institution

    • Healthy Minds Study: An annual survey that examines mental health issues and mental health utilization in university students

    • HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act): A federal law passed in 1996 that required the creation of national standards to protect sensitive health information

    • In loco parentis: Means “in place of the parent” and refers to a legal doctrine in which a person or institution acts in the place of a parents

    • SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration): An agency of the Department of Health and Human Services that leads efforts to improve the lives of people living with mental and substance use disorders

    • Serious mental illness: An emotional disorder that results in significant functional impairment

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    Morris, M.R. (2021). The Parent Factor: Collaborating with Parents to Promote Mental Health Treatment. 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_3

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    • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-69468-5_3

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    • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

    • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-69467-8

    • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-69468-5

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