The Kids Aren’t Alright

The College Mental Health Crisis

What Parents and Students Need to Know

The essential guide for students and parents navigating the college mental health crisis.  

There is a mental health crisis on American campuses. In the last several years, depression and anxiety have risen dramatically among our nation’s youth. Wooed by college marketing departments and matriculation speeches which promise them “the best years of their lives,” students enter higher education
unprepared for the many challenges of campus life and often find themselves lonely, anxious, and depressed.

In The Kids Aren’t Alright, public health expert Michelle Bowdler offers a practical blueprint for navigating the emotional landscape of higher education. As Bowdler reveals, the crisis begins long before move-in day, as the intense pressures of the application process leave students feeling anxious and burned out before they matriculate. Once students arrive on campus, these issues can be compounded by drug and alcohol abuse, sexual assault, lack of institutional resources, and more.

With compassion and clarity, Bowdler equips students and their families with tools to navigate everything from the process of choosing a college to handling stressors once undergraduates arrive on campus. She provides concrete advice on questions including:

• How do you separate hype from reality during the college tour process?

• What questions should you ask before you or your child chooses a college?

• What should parents and students expect during first term?

• What can parents and students do to get the right help when they need it?

This is the essential book for parents and students as they embark on their college journey.