Young Adults
Young adulthood — the period between the ages of 18 and 25 — is a time of significant personal growth and change. You might be continuing your education, starting a career, beginning to explore serious relationships, and becoming more independent from your family.
The changes and decisions that often define this period of life can feel challenging, stressful, and overwhelming for everyone. This is also the time when many people start experiencing mental health symptoms, as most mental health conditions present by age 25 or earlier.
It can be complicated to determine if what you are experiencing is a mental health condition beyond the typical stress or challenges of growing into adulthood. There are no blood tests or x-rays that can diagnose mental health conditions, and many indicators or symptoms of conditions overlap. For example, difficulty concentrating can be the result of a minor inconvenience or indicative of a more serious issue. This lack of clarity can lead to delays in identifying symptoms of mental health conditions and deciding on the best course of care and support.
If you start to experience mental health symptoms that are affecting your everyday life, it is essential to seek help as soon as you can. There are many forms of support and care, and the first step is gaining a better understanding of what you are experiencing to find the right treatment for you.
Mental Health in College
Beginning college is an exciting time, but it’s also a time of greater independence and responsibility. This is true whether you are attending a local college or moving away from home.
This transition can be intimidating, especially if other people in your family have not attended college; if you are a member of a community that has been traditionally marginalized or underrepresented at your school; or if you are a returning student or a student-veteran. Many students work to help cover the cost of attendance, and some have family responsibilities to manage in addition to their coursework. Trying to manage these demands can be difficult.
While college can be emotionally challenging, it’s still possible to enjoy the experience and grow from it. To help support your success in college, it’s important to prioritize your mental health — look out for on-campus support, social connections, and opportunities to engage with your new community.
Before college, most young people receive health care through their family’s health insurance and primary care providers, and parents or guardians will often be involved in care decisions. When you turn 18, you gain more control and privacy regarding your health care. For example, your health care providers cannot share your health information with parents, guardians, or anyone else without your permission (except in rare circumstances). You can find more information on this topic in our college guide.
It’s important to ensure continuity of care if you have a mental health condition and are moving away to start school. It can be helpful to consider how you will continue your treatment, your options for finding new care (should you need it), and how/when you are comfortable sharing information about your health with family or others in your support system.
To learn more about how to take care of yourself in college, check out Starting the Conversation: College and Your Mental Health. This guide offers both parents and students the opportunity to learn more about mental health, including what the privacy laws are and how mental health information can be shared.
Going to college is a big step, and big steps come with excitement, the unknown, and, usually, a healthy amount of stress.
That’s not only OK, but also to be expected. And it’s the reason for this guide designed by—and for—students just like you. This guide was made to help you navigate some of the life changes that come with heading off to college.
