For Miami University Remote Orientation Resource Fair, Summer 2020

1. PERCEPTIONS OF
MENTAL DISORDERS
ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES
C. Grey Nelei-Nunnemaker MS LPCC-S LICDC

2. Mental
Health in
College
• Nearly 50% of college-attending young adults met
DSM criteria for at least one mental disorder (Blanco et
al., 2008)
• While counseling on college campuses has become
more available, proportionally their utilization is still
low
• The Healthy Minds Study (Hunt & Eisenberg, 2010)
found:
– 17% of undergrads had positive screens for depression
– 10% positive screens for anxiety disorders
• What are the possible effects of untreated mental
health symptoms in college students?

3. • What does stigma look like?
• There are various types of stigma, but regarding
mental health, we are particularly concerned with
mental illness being perceived as a character flaw or
moral problem
• According to NAMI, “Stigma harms the 1 in 5
Americans affected by mental health conditions. It
shames them into silence and prevents them from
seeking help.”
• Includes self-stigma, fear of workplace discrimination,
public attitudes, and fear of psychiatric treatment
• The experience of stigma usually comes with shame
and embarrassment and can include social ridicule and
isolation
Stigma
noun
a mark of disgrace associated
with a particular circumstance,
quality, or person

4. Stigma &
Mental
Health
part 1
• Stigma can be looked at in the following ways
(Carmack, Nelson, Hocke-Mirzashvili, & Fife, 2018):
• Personal stigma, or attitudes about the stigmatized
person
– Mental health is not a “real” medical problem
– The person has control over the mental health issue
– Associating negative personality and behavioral traits to
the person
• Public stigma, or the perceived negative beliefs of
others about the stigmatized person
– Family and friends
– General population
– Healthcare providers

5. Stigma &
Mental
Health
part 2
• Stigma affects the relationships between mental heath
literacy, attitudes towards mental health treatment, and
treatment-seeking behaviors. (DeBate, Gatto, &
Rafal,2018)
• Also prevents disclosure to loved ones and openness with
professionals
• Carmack, Nelson, Hocke-Mirzashvili, & Fife (2018) found:
– Students tend to identify more perceived stigma in the
general public than personal stigma
– Students demonstrate that as communication about mental
health improves, personal stigma decreases
– Students perceive more public stigma against depression
than anxiety.
• Studies have also found that informing students about
mental health and treatment options helps improve
students’ attitudes towards the use of counseling services
(Yamaguchi, et al., 2013)

6. What is
Counseling?
• A counselor is a state-licensed individual who can
diagnose mental and substance use disorders, and can
work with individuals, couples, families, and groups to
manage mental illness, substance use, and general life
issues/stressors
• Provide emotional support and guidance to improve
healthy decision-making and help clients meet their
identified goals
• Not just a “good listener” or “good at giving advice”
• State-by-state licensure (Ohio is relatively strict,
hooray!)
• Follow a very strict code of ethics to protect clients

7. References
• Blanco, C.,Okuda, M.,Wright, C., Hasin, D. S.,Grant, B. F., Liu, S.-M., & Olfson, M.
(2008). Mental health of college students and their non–college-attending peers:
Results from the national epidemiologic study on alcohol and related conditions.
Archives of General Psychiatry
• Carmack, H. J., Nelson, C. L., Hocke-Mirzashvili,T. M., & Fife, E. M. (2018). Depression
and Anxiety Stigma, Shame, and Communication About Mental Health Among
College Students: Implications for Communication with Students. College Student
Affairs Journal,36(1), 68-79. doi:10.1353/csj.2018.0004
• Debate, R. D., Gatto,A., & Rafal, G. (2018). The Effects of Stigma on Determinants of
Mental Health Help-Seeking Behaviors Among Male College Students: An
Application of the Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills Model.American Journal
of Mens Health,12(5), 1286-1296. doi:10.1177/1557988318773656
• Gaddis, S. M., Ramirez, D., & Hernandez, E. (2018). Contextualizing Public Stigma:
Endorsed Mental HealthTreatment Stigma on College and University
Campuses. Social Science & Medicine,197, 183-191. doi:10.31235/osf.io/q8pdv
• Hunt, J., & Eisenberg, D. (2010). Mental health problems and help-seeking behavior
among college students. Journal ofAdolescent Health, 46(1), 3–10.
doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2009.08.008
• NAMI. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.nami.org/stigmafree
• Yamaguchi, S.,Wu, S., Biswas, M.,Yate, M.,Aoki,Y., Barley, E. A., & Thornicroft, G.
(2013). Effects of Short-Term Interventions to Reduce Mental Health–Related Stigma
in University or College Students.The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease,201(6),
490-503. doi:10.1097/nmd.0b013e31829480df