Kadison, Richard, & Digeronimo, Theresa Foy. College of the Overwhelmed: The Campus Mental Health Crisis and What to Do About It

Adolescence, Fall, 2005

KADISON, Richard, & DIGERONIMO, Theresa Foy. College of the Overwhelmed: The Campus Mental Health Crisis and What to Do About It. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2004. 296pp. $24.95 (h), $15.95 (p).

Written for parents, students, college counselors, and administrators, College of the Overwhelmed explores the stressors that cause so many college students to suffer psychological problems. The book is filled with insights and stories about the current mental health crisis on college campuses and offers: a hands-on guide for helping students overcome stress and succeed in a college environment; an examination of the effects of such commonplace stress factors as identity development, relationships, sexuality, roommate problems, academic pressures, extracurricular demands, parental expectations, and racial and cultural differences that affect self-worth; personal stories of students under stress and how they overcame a variety of problems; and the warning signs and symptoms of common problems, including depression, sleep disorders, substance abuse, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, impulsive behaviors, and suicide.