JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – High school graduation is right around the corner and that means many seniors will soon be leaving home, heading to college and living on their own for the very first time.
Counselors are reminding that now is the time for teens and parents to talk about the importance of staying mentally healthy while away from home.
Depression and anxiety are the two most common mental disorders for college students. With high school seniors deciding now where they will be attending college in the fall, UNF counselors say now is the time for teens and parents to talk about staying healthy while away from their parents.
Going to college is more than just a new school. It's a whole new environment, and possibly living on your own for the very first time. University of North Florida junior, Morgan Knight is from Jacksonville and decided to continue living with her parents. But, she says the high school to college transition was still difficult.
"I would make sure to have a good support system and getting involved in school things to make new friends." said Knight.
Knight has never suffered from a mental disorder but says she can see how many students become stressed.
According to a spring 2014 survey by the American College Health Association, 14.3 percent of college students were diagnosed with, or treated for anxiety problems during the past year and 12 percent were diagnosed with or treated for depression.
That's up from a little more than 10 percent for anxiety and 10 percent for depression in the fall 2008 survey.
"Just because you're leaving some of the bad teachers behind or some of the poisonous friends, it doesn't mean that all your problems are going to go away." Said Pomeroy.
Dr. Noelle Pomeroy is a counselor at UNF and says parents and students have to be more realistic that when they get to college. They may need counseling at some point which is completely OK.
"It would probably be okay to have plans for counseling or at least access to counseling when you get to school." said Dr. Pomeroy.
Pomeroy also suggests that parents start getting their senior high school students to take on more responsibilities before heading off to college. This includes tasks like going to doctor's appointments on their own, taking short road trips and managing a budget. This will help them to stay mentally stable during their college transition.