The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 43, No. 2 - 47

College Students in Crisis: Prevention, Identification, and Response Options for Campus Housing Professionals

experience of transitioning to college life can
often complicate pre-existing psychological
conditions or concurrent (non-college related)
stressors (Sax, 1997). For the majority of firstyear students, the resulting psychological
states are temporary and healthy triggers for

Studies on college students
experiencing suicidal thoughts
indicate that if they disclose
their suicidal ideation, they rely
more on peers than others on
campus, such as professional
counselors or professors.

personal development (Brougham et al., 2009;
Chickering & Reisser, 1993). For some residents, however, the transitions may instigate
progression into a state of crisis; a maladaptive
psychological response to these acute transitions can create intense, potentially chronic
problems that warrant additional attention
or intervention (Pancer, Hunsberger, Pratt,
& Alisat, 2000). Additional crises above and
beyond transitions can further complicate adjustment for many students.
	 Unfortunately, despite their distress, students on college campuses tend to underutilize
professional help (Drum, Brownson, Burton
Denmark, & Smith, 2009). With respect
to suicidal ideation, researchers (Burton

Denmark, Hess & Swanbrow Becker, 2012)
identified the top reasons students do not
share these thoughts: Believing the thoughts
would go away on their own; not wanting to
burden others; not thinking others could be
helpful; concern about stigma; and fear of
repercussions. Of suicide completers, nearly
80% of students who completed suicide never
received services at their campus's counseling center (Kisch, Leino, & Silverman, 2005).
Studies on college students experiencing suicidal thoughts indicate that if they disclose
their suicidal ideation, they rely more on peers
than others on campus, such as professional
counselors or professors (Drum et al., 2009;
Wyman et al., 2008). In fact, the absence of
reaching out for support from peers can be a
warning sign that a student is experiencing difficulty (Pierson & Canto, 2012).

Prevalence of Crisis in College Students
A crisis can be defined as an event that significantly interferes with an individual's ability to
meet needs, disrupts typical problem-solving
skills, and incites a state of disorganization
for the individual (James & Gilliland, 2013).
Results of the American College Health Association's National College Health Assessment (ACHA-NCHA, 2015) of 93,034 students
across 108 institutions portrayed considerable
distress currently exists among college students. More than one-third (35%) of responding students reported that during the past 12
months they felt so depressed it was difficult
to function, and 57% indicated experiencing
overwhelming anxiety. In addition, a disturbing proportion of students endorsed feeling
overwhelmed (86%), exhausted although not
from physical activity (82%), very sad (64%),
very lonely (59%), and hopeless (48%). Six
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The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 43, No. 2

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 43, No. 2
