How Parents Can Support Incoming Students With Mental Health Concerns

Forbes

27-05-2025

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A college student with her parents
getty
Summer is an exciting time for many incoming college students and their families. Attending orientation sessions, university athletics, and deciding on a choice of major are common priorities for many students. Parents are typically focused on supporting their incoming students, and their impact can be significant. A 2024 report on Frobes.com highlighted three unique ways that parents can have on their college students. Some parents are particularly focused on providing support because their students have a history of significant mental health concerns. These parents are not alone and below are five ways that parents can support incoming college students with mental health concerns.
Some might view college as a new start and hope that this new start will naturally reduce any concerns that occurred during high school. Although a new environment can be a positive factor, the transition into college is often stressful. A 2024 report on VeryWellMind.com indicated that stress is frequently associated with change. For many students, starting college is the first time in which so much change occurs at the same time. Thus, incoming students might experience high stress during their first year, which could exacerbate mental health symptoms. Thus, parents can support their students by discussing how to be vigilant about monitoring personal stress and symptoms.
Many mental health concerns emerge during adolescence and young adulthood. A 2023 report by the Harvard Graduate School of Education, elaborated on the mental health challenges faced by many young adults. An important aspect of treating college students with mental health concerns is knowing their family history of symptoms. This can clarify diagnoses and help generate a treatment plan. In addition, all emerging adults should know their family history. Even if symptoms skip a generation, it's important to know about risk factors that could affect future families.
It's common for parents to escort their students to the campus counseling center during orientation to ensure that students know where this office is located. However, much more is needed to learn how counseling services at a particular campus really work. A 2024 report on Forbes.com explained how students and families can vet a college counseling center. It's also likely that other offices on campus can offer support, such as the Dean of Students, Student Success, Health Promotions, and even some campus health centers. Learning the full profile of support on campus is often vital for parents in supporting their students.
It's important for parents to be realistic about plans to meet the mental health needs of their students. If parents plan for their students to attend counseling every week throughout their first year of college, it's important for parents to inquire if the campus counseling center has session limits. It might also be helpful to explore resources such as tuition insurance and the school's policies about medical withdrawals in case severe symptoms impede the student's ability to complete the academic year.
Developing a realistic plan often involves collaborating with campus mental health professionals. Some parents might be hesitant to discuss their students' mental health concerns, especially if the family had negative experiences with high school personnel. However, college is a vastly different experience. Many incoming students live on campus, will have roommates (and these roommates will likely have parents), and are of legal age. Thus, being secretive about mental health concerns is not the best approach.
Though many students know the location of their campus counseling center, it's not automatic that they will seek counseling if they experience serious mental health concerns. According to a 2023 report by the Atlantic Journal-Constitution, undergraduate men diagnosed with a mental health condition are the least likely group to seek counseling. It's important to note that even a reduced stigma about counseling does not guarantee help-seeking. Certain students might be supportive of peers seeking counseling while still being hesitant to do so themselves. Parents can be a vital source of encouragement for students to seek counseling. Perhaps better than any other source of encouragement, parents can make counseling appear less intimidating and more important.
In general, parents will always be a top source of support for incoming college students. A history of mental health concerns should be acknowledged by the parents to help students be prepared. However, providing this support doesn't have to be daunting.