Psychiatric disorders common among college-aged

A new survey suggests that young adults in the United States have stunningly high rates of psychiatric disorders, such as substance abuse, nicotine addiction, personality disorders or other mental-health conditions. The high rates were found in people ages 18 to 24 who attend college and those who do not. The study, published today in the Archives of General Psychiatry , found that half of the individuals surveyed met the criteria for a psychiatric disorder but only one-fourth of those had sought treatment. "For many, young adulthood is characterized by the pursuit of greater educational opportunities and employment prospects, development of personal relationships and, for some, parenthood. While all of these circumstances offer opportunities for growth, they may also result in stress that precipitates the onset or recurrence of psychiatric disorders," wrote the authors of the paper, who were from Columbia University. The data were drawn from the National Epidemiological Survey on ... (link)