the campus cure

A local psychiatrist’s book o ers practical advice for parents and college students alike. ›

One out of four college students have been diagnosed with or treated for a mental health disorder in the past year.

Sexual assaults are higher than ever, with one in four female college students having been assaulted by the time they graduate.

As many as one-third of college students binge drink, often taking part in the dangerous new trend of “drunkorexia,” in which they intentionally starve themselves or purge before drinking in order to get intoxicated more quickly.

When Marcia Morris, M.D., a psychiatrist at the University of Florida, started practicing 25 years ago, she never anticipated such disturbing numbers. The mother of two 20-somethings, she’s experienced

By Cynthia McFarland

first-hand the challenges associated with parenting college students.

In her new book, The Campus Cure: A Parent’s Guide to Mental Health and Wellness for College Students, Morris brings her professional and personal expertise to topics that are incredibly timely for families across the country.

Although packed with fascinating case histories and valuable advice, Morris’ book is refreshingly easy to read. She covers a wide range of mental health concerns, and each chapter contains tips on dealing with specific issues.

“One in five college students are diagnosed with anxiety and depression. Since I started practicing in 1993, I’ve seen a significant increase in both and also that it’s starting at earlier ages, which has been documented by studies,” notes Morris, who writes a parenting blog for Psychology Today and lectures regularly on mental health topics.

Morris points out that one of the biggest challenges students face today is the pressure of perfectionism, which she believes is behind many mental health issues.

“Students feel driven to succeed academically and financially and even to look a certain way, and sometimes they sacrifice their health to achieve this,” she explains. “Parents also feel pressure to have their kids succeed, and many of them are worried about their children’s future. Sometimes, the anxiety parents feel is transmitted to their kids.”

Morris works with college students on a daily basis, and many of their stories are shared in her extensively researched book. (In order to protect the privacy of patients, names and identifying details have been changed.)

A graduate of Harvard and the Yale School of Medicine, Morris completed her residency training at New York Hospital Cornell Medical Center for Psychiatry. A native of Massachusetts, she and her family have lived in Ocala since 1993.

Morris’ book was published by Rowman and Littlefield in January. She is currently making promotional appearances and tour stops. The Campus Cure: A Parent’s Guide to Mental Health and Wellness for College Students is available online at marciamorrismd.com, on Amazon and in bookstores across the country.