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Objective: Psychiatric disorders, such as depression and anxiety, can hinder academic performance among college-age individuals. Participants: Mental health among college students is a growing public health concern, with some scholars describing collegiate mental health as a crisis (Chen et al., Psychiatr Serv. 2019;70(6):442-449). Methods: This study analyzes data from four annual administrations of the American College Health Association (ACHA)'S NCHA (n = 117,430). Results: Overall, anxiety and depression were the most common conditions, at 9.2% and 8.7%, respectively. Of students reporting the focal symptom, 17.87% were treated for depression and 12.91% were treated for anxiety. Compared to not-treated students, diagnosed only students, had significantly lower grade averages, with effect sizes of -0.30 and -0.20 for depression and anxiety, respectively. Conclusions: Given the prevalence of depression and anxiety among college-aged students, continued research into help seeking behaviors and their effects on outcomes like grade average is an essential part of understanding the toll these disorders take.

Background: College dropout has been described as an epidemic, with underrepresented minority (URM) students having the highest dropout rates at colleges and universities. This study examines interpersonal violence and substance use as potential threats to the academic success of URM students. Methods: This study is a secondary data analysis of the National College Health Assessment. Results: Significant decreases for grade point average (GPA) in African American students were associated with physical violence and marijuana use. For Hispanic/Latinx students, physical violence, marijuana use, and methamphetamine use were significantly associated with decreases in GPA. American Indian, Alaska Native, or Native Hawaiian students' decreases in GPA were significantly associated with marijuana use. Conclusions: Results of the study indicated that substance use and interpersonal violence are associated with decreases in GPA for various groups of URM. These findings are disconcerting and relay the importance for colleges and universities to undertake strategies to increase the retention of URM students.

Nearly one-fourth of all undergraduate degrees received by Black students are from historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). HBCUs have both historical significance and present-day relevance in the promotion of Black excellence in higher education, especially in the consideration of behavioral health. The purpose of this work is to examine the present state of research surrounding behavioral health within HBCUs. A scoping review was conducted of the EbscoHost database, yielding a total of 252 articles. A total of 39 articles met the inclusion criteria and were examined within this work. Six studies informed the prevalence of behavioral health issues on campus, while the remaining articles covered a broad range of research from psychological and physical wellbeing, sexual health, violence, identity, and ideology, and finally programs and policies. Gaps and future recommendations for research and practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Substance use disorders (SUDs) are on the rise, particularly concerning opioids, and existing services are still not adequately meeting treatment needs. Most treatment dropouts occur within the first few weeks of treatment, indicating health improvement is likely not occurring. In this study, a clinical dashboard tool has shown promising utility with increasing retention in SUD treatment. Method: This pilot study was designed to measure the effects of implementing a performance-based practice clinical dashboard tool and having a process for monitoring patients' recovery in a Midwestern SUD treatment center. Results: The results demonstrated the efficacy of a clinical dashboard tool that complements therapists' monitoring and measuring of their patients' performance. Discussion: Results support a building knowledge base about the impact of real-time, evidence-based tools on the retention and support of clients seeking SUD treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Substance abuse is a long-standing problem, particularly in the St. Louis, Missouri area. Recently, 350,000 individuals reported using illicit drugs with more than half living with a substance abuse disorder in the St. Louis Metropolitan area. Among the illicit drugs, heroin, cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamine and LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) are considered the most prevalent, with heroin/opioids being particularly linked to increased rates of death, violence, and arrests. Because drug prevalence and popularity change over time, it is important to explore how and why the drug landscape changes and how this impacts illicit drug use. With a changing healthcare system, it will be imperative to examine the causes and risks of poly use of illicit drugs to inform prevention and treatment approaches for individuals who may end up in the emergency department (ED), which may be a first step in treatment for many. This study applies findings from a social network analysis utilizing a St. Louis subset of 1997 Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) data compared to recent national emergency department statistics. By examining an example of a changing drug landscape, rehabilitation professionals can learn to best serve individuals leaving the emergency department to facilitate quicker, more efficient, rehabilitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]