>> ERIC: COLLEGE STUDENTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY WILL BE RETURNING HOME IN A COUPLE SHORT WEEKS.

SOME FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE STARTING COLLEGE THIS FALL.

A NEW BOOK RELEASED THIS YEAR ENTITLED "THE COLLEGE STUDENT'S GUIDE TO MENTAL HEALTH" OFFERS UP SOME TIPS AND STRATEGIES FOR STUDENTS AS THEY NAVIGATE HIGHER EDUCATION.

PENNED BY A PSYCHOLOGIST AND THERAPIST AT MACALESTER COLLEGE WITH MORE THAN 20 YEARS EXPERIENCE.

THE AUTHOR JOINS US NOW.

MIA NOSANOW.

>> PRETTY GOOD.

>> Eric: PRETTY GOOD.

SAY IT FOR ME.

IS THIS ALL ABOUT THE PANDEMIC, IS IT MORE THAN THAT?

>> OH, NO, THIS PREDATES THE PANDEMIC.

STUDENT MENTAL HEALTH HAS BEEN REALLY DECLINING SINCE THE EARLY 2000s.

>> Eric: WHY?

>> A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO FIGURE THAT OUT.

I WOULD BLAME ORIGINALLY ON BREAKDOWN IN GROUPS IN OUR SOCIETY.

IT SORT OF PARALLELS THE LONELINESS EPIDEMIC.

AND THEN A LOT OF FLAME GOT -- GAS GOT THROWN ON THE FIRE WITH SOCIAL MEDIA AND MEDIA IN GENERAL AND SCREENS.

AND BREAKDOWN IN OUR SOCIETY, I THINK, MADE STUDENTS ALSO FEEL THE PRESSURES AND THE FINANCIAL PRESSURES FROM THE 2008 AND THEN THINGS GOT A LOT HARDER, A LOT LOT HARDER WITH THE PANDEMIC FOR STUDENTS.

>> Cathy: WOW.

YOU KNOW, I'M A GRADUATE FROM UW RIVER FALLS, YOU PROBABLY HEARD THAT THE CAMPUS WAS REALLY HAD A VERY DIFFICULT -- THERE'S A CLUSTER OF FOUR DEATHS BY SUICIDE, STUDENTS.

AND IT WAS VERY SAD.

AND THE COLLEGE ADMITTED IT WAS RATTLED, IT DIDN'T QUITE KNOW HOW TO RESPOND.

WHAT ARE COLLEGE CAMPUSES DOING TO HELP INDIVIDUALS WHO MIGHT BE SHOWING SIGNS OF DEPRESSION AND MAYBE SUICIDAL THOUGHTS AND ARE JUST HAVING A HORRIBLE TIME?

WHAT'S OUT THERE TO HELP?

>> THE COLLEGES ARE DOING SO MUCH.

THEY'RE TRYING EVERYTHING.

THEY'RE WORKING WITH NATIONAL FOUNDATIONS TO TRY TO DO SUICIDE PREVENTION, THEY'RE TRYING TO DO MORE PROGRAMMING THAN THEY ALREADY DID, WHICH THEY ALREADY DID A GREAT JOB, TO CONNECT STUDENTS WHEN THEY FIRST COME TO COLLEGE.

THEY'RE TRYING TO IMPROVE HOUSING SO THAT STUDENTS CAN LIVE IN CLUSTERS AND GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER BETTER.

BUT THERE'S -- AND ALSO, OBVIOUSLY, INCREASING THE STAFF IN THE COUNSELING CENTER, TOO.

BUT IT'S AN IMPOSSIBLE CURVE TO TRY TO GET ENOUGH COUNSELORS ON A COLLEGE CAMPUS TO MEET THE NEED OF STUDENTS.

>> Eric: WHAT'S THE ABC METHOD?

>> IT IS BEING -- IT'S OR COPING WITH THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS AND EMOTIONS, BEING AWARE, BEING WITH IT, ACCEPTING WHAT IT IS, NOT JUDGING IT, AND THEN C IS CHOOSING WHAT YOU WANT TO DO WITH IT.

SO EITHER JUST, YEAH, I'M FEELING SAD.

WHAT AM I GOING TO DO?

I'M GOING TO HAVE A CUP OF COCOA WITH MY FRIEND.

OR, I'M JUST GOING TO LET IT BE.

I DON'T NEED TO DO ANYTHING WITH T, WITH THE THOUGHT.

BUT AS A HERAPIST I SAW STUDENTS COMING IN WITH A LOT OF THOUGHTS THAT WERE OT HELPING THEM, LIKE I DON'T BELONG HERE, I SHOULDN'T BE HERE, I'M NOT GOOD ENOUGH TO BE HERE, AND THEY WERE GOOD ENOUGH TO BE THERE.

>> Cathy: IMPOSTER SYNDROME.

>> IMPOSTER SYNDROME AND JUST NEGATIVITY AND FEAR.

AND KIND OF UNDERSTANDING, IF YOU SAY REALLY BAD STUFF TO YOURSELF OVER AND OVER, YOU'RE GOING TO FEEL REALLY BAD.

SO HOW DO YOU INTERRUPT IT?

>> Eric: I DIDN'T GET THE LONELINESS ISSUE, HALF THE KIDS ARE LONELY, IT WASN'T THE IDYLLIC TEREOTYPE OF COLLEGE WHERE YOU MEET FRIENDS FOR LIFE, WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT?

>> IT'S JUST GOTTEN HARDER AND HARDER OVER THE YEARS.

AND THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST ARE GOING TO BE TRYING TO FIGURE THIS OUT.

I KNOW IT'S WITH, YOU KNOW, IF YOUR FACE IS IN A PHONE, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO MAKE FRIENDS AS WELL.

IF YOU THINK YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE ONE WAY BECAUSE YOU'VE SEEN IT ON SOCIAL MEDIA, BUT THAT'S NOT YOUR AUTHENTIC SELF, HOW ARE YOU GOING TO REALLY CONNECT WITH PEOPLE?

WE HAD IT A LOT EASIER BECAUSE WE JUST HAD TO BE OUT THERE WITH PEOPLE.

>> Cathy: YOU WERE FORCED TO ACTUALLY INTERACT.

>> FORCED TO MAKE FRIENDS.

NOW THERE'S SO MANY BARRIERS TO JUST BEING WITH FOLKS AND SEEING THEM REPEATEDLY AND BEING THEMSELVES AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF.

>> Cathy: SO I'M CURIOUS THEN ABOUT -- >> Eric: GO AHEAD.

>> DOCTOR: WHAT WOULD BE -- >> Cathy: WHAT WOULD BE, THERE ARE PARENTS WATCHING AND GRANDPARENTS WATCHING OF COLLEGE-AGE KIDS, I'M WONDERING HAT THEY CAN DO TO HELP.

BECAUSE THIS IS A LOT OF FOCUS ON WHAT COLLEGES ARE DOING, WHICH IS GREAT.

>> THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

BECAUSE I DO THINK ALL OF OUR STUDENTS ARE WATCHING PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS, WE'RE THE BEST -- WE'RE SERIOUS ROLE MODELS.

SO THAT'S PART OF WHAT MY BOOK CAN PROVIDE IS SORT OF VALIDATION OF ALL THE DIFFERENT ISSUES THAT STUDENTS ARE DEALING WITH BECAUSE THEY HAVEN'T QUITE HAD BEEN THE SAME CHANCE TO LEARN THE SKILLS IN THE SAME WAY TO HELP -- TO BE MENTALLY HEALTHY.

SO, WE CAN NDERSTAND WHAT THEY'RE WORKING ON, HELP -- ASK THEM, HOW'S YOUR MENTAL HEALTH?

I CARE ABOUT YOUR MENTAL HEALTH.

ARE YOU DOING THESE DIFFERENT STEPS TO HELP IT.

>> Eric: THE COLLEGE STUDENT'S GUIDE TO MENTAL HEALTH, FOR THOSE THAT THIS APPLIES TO, IT'S QUITE A GOOD HANDBOOK.