UT-HCPC experts discuss mental health on college campuses, Oct. 20
HOUSTON – (Oct. 8, 2007)–Mental illness on college campuses will be discussed by experts, including faculty at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston, at a conference sponsored by the Texas chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 20, at the Fayez Sarofim Research Building, 1825 Pressler St.
Recent tragedies on university campuses have focused attention on the issue of mental health in college students. According to Spring 2006 data from the National College Health Assessment, 37 percent of college students reported that in the previous school year, they felt “so depressed it was difficult to function.” Suicide is the third-leading cause of death for people ages 10 to 24, and the average onset age for many severe mental illnesses is 18 to 24, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.
Pedro Ruiz, M.D., professor and interim chair at the UT Medical School’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, will be the keynote speaker. Ruiz, executive director of the UT Harris County Psychiatric Center (HCPC), will discuss, "Addressing Patients Needs: Access, Parity and Humane Care.”
Andrew Harper, M.D., associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at UT Medical School and medical director of HCPC, will talk about current issues in college mental health services.
Other speakers will address the prevalence of mental illnesses on college campuses; student and family needs; medications and recovery; confidentiality, privacy and legal issues; and improving clinical outcomes through the use of culturally competent assessments.
The conference, called Campus Connections, is free and open to the public, but seating is limited and reservations must be made by calling 512-693-2000 or e-mailing lmoore@namitexas.org. It is sponsored in partnership with the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, HCPC and The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.