Literature Review #1

1.  Literature Review

     Shayla Carroll

2. Novotney, Amy. "Students Under Pressure." American Psychological Association, vol. 45, No. 8, September 2014, pp. 36. http://www.apa.org/monitor/2014/09/cover-pressure.aspx. Accessed 26 February 2017.

3. I really love the variety in information given in this article. It starts out discussing the statistics of anxiety and depression in college students. The article states that about 1/3 of students from 150 colleges have had difficulty functioning because of depression, and about 1/2 of the students felt overwhelming anxiety. Novotney adds an alarming statistic that about 30% of students who have used mental health services have considered suicide. This article provides the alarming statistics which prove an increase in mental health service usage by college students. This increase is likely due to the fact that colleges are growing in size and the influx of students leads to a demand in clinicians that the university cannot provide. If the university can supply the students with more clinicians, then the students have a greater chance of staying in school and graduating-- which is the ultimate goal of college. The long waitlist to see a counselor is the problem that many universities are trying to fix with the help of cutting down the time of the initial interview/ assessment, and technological devices that act as an electronic therapist for students with anxiety. The device gives students the ability to answer questions about their anxiety, provides coping strategies and educational videos, and allows them to talk to a counselor every week. Because most college students come in to mental health services for anxiety, this device significantly cut down the wait list and is providing students with the necessary help and treatment they need. Another way universities are trying to resolve this issue is by educating faculty members on how to incorporate psychological concepts into the classroom. This article not only gives evidence of the increase in anxiety / depression, but gives answers as to how the university can help.  

4. The author of this article is Amy Novotney, who graduated from Northwestern University. She has ten years of experience in medical and mental healthy writing through jobs like being a communication consultant. She specializes in health writing, editing, proofreading, communications plan development and much more. She has written many articles about incorporating psychology into different aspects of life, such as law enforcement.

5. Innovative treatment models are ways in which the universities are trying to take control of the increase of anxiety and depression. Innovative treatment models in the article include the Brief Assessment and Referral Team (BART), which helps shorten the time of an initial interview, and the student is refered to the appropriate level of care. Another example is the Therapist Assisted Online (TAO) program, which is the device used by students with anxiety. 

A key concept in this article is that colleges have a main focus on retention rate. Retention rates drop when students develop any time of mental illness, which reflects on the college. By using innovative treatment models, universities can keep retention rates up and mental illness cases down. 

6. "The insufficient funding for college mental health services also means inadequate access to care and treatment. Colleges and universities are addressing this challenge by developing quick screening tools and brief consultations to rapidly determine the needs of each new student who visits the counseling center " (Novotney, 36).

"For students to be able to learn at their peak capacity, they need to be physically, emotionally, intellectually and spiritually well," says Douce. "Students who struggle are more likely to drop out of school, but by providing services for their anxiety, depression and relationship issues, we can help them manage these issues, focus on their academics and learn new ways to be in the world" (Novotney, 36).

"One way that counseling centers are trying to get more support for mental health services is by focusing on a factor administrators understand: a return on investment" (Novotney, 36).

7. This article helps explain what universities can do to help stop the increase in anxiety and depression amongst their students. I feel this article will be of great use towards the middle/ end of my paper when I explain how to potentially solve this problem that is on the rise. I like that there is research that provides evidence for the topic, gives reasons as to why anxiety and depression could be increasing, and gives a solution. The paper is not only about one thing, which will allow me to use bits and pieces of it throughout my paper making strong connections with other texts.