↓ Download PDF ← Back to Library
1
Antioch College – Campus-Wide Email – Linda Lee Sattem, Ph.D., PCC/S
November 2, 2006
The text below is an Antioch College, campus-wide email sent by Linda Lee Sattem, Ph.D., PCC/S on November
2, 2006. At that time Dr. Sattem was the Director of Antioch College’s Counseling and Wellness Center. Dr.
Sattem reposted this email in 2007 during an online discussion about “toxic culture” and the closing of Antioch
College. This “toxic culture” narrative was based on false mental health information promoted by Antioch
College President, Steve Lawry and embraced by Antioch University administrators and trustees. According to
Dr. Sattem’s email, Antioch University began promoting these false mental health claims in 2004, several years
before Mr. Lawry arrived at Antioch College.
———————-
November 2, 2006
On March 8, 2004 I sent out a campus-wide announcements concerning rumors that indicated thinking
along the lines of “If Antioch did not admit such messed up students, the college would not be having such
problems”.
In that email I noted that having worked in private practice for 13 years (and in different agencies for the
15+ years before) with many students from multiple colleges in the area, my experience here was not different,
with the exception of more trans issues. Additionally, I offered research from 2003 about the issues college
students present at their counseling centers. I ended with “There is nothing wrong with you. You are not the
reason the college is having difficulties.”
Seems this line of thought has again reared up, is being talked about, and getting serious discussion.
Antioch students are not different than other college students. Our students do not have more problems, more
severe problems or a higher incidence of mental illness.
Are we busy at the Counseling Center? Yes. So is every center I have visited, this same experience is
what I hear from every director at our regional conferences, and what is reported in the literature.
Attached is the American College Health Association’s 2005 survey results (it was their 2003 results I
included in the 2004 email announcement) if you’d like to see what issues are being dealt with. The summary
of an article concerning the patterns over 13 years in one counseling center (Kansas State University) is also
attached. Finally there are two new resources from the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI). The
first is research with students and parents, the second with college counseling centers. Learn about what is
happening to all colleges, all college students.
We have to be careful with what we say, what we try to pin all our problems on. We are complex, the
problems we face are complex. We cannot “target” one group or another. All of us want the college to survive,
and then to thrive.
Again, there is nothing wrong with you. You are not the reason the college is having difficulties.
Linda Lee Sattem, Ph.D., PCC/S
Antioch College
College Student Mental Health
Counseling and Wellness Center
Amer. College Health Assoc.
2
The American College Health Association conducts annual surveys of the nation?s college students. In 2005 they surveyed 54,111 students in the spring, and 16,832 students in the fall. The following are selected findings from these 2005 surveys. 2005 Survey Impediment to academic performance (last school year) Spring Fall Issue 31.6% 30.9% stress 26.5% 23.6% colds/flu/sore throats 24.8% 23.7% sleep difficulties 18.1% 17.8% concern about family/friend 15.8% 14.7% relationship difficulties 16.3% 15.6% depression and anxiety 14.2% 12.0% Internet use/games 8.4% 9.2% death of family member/friend 7.6% 6.5% alcohol use Depression Diagnosis and Treatment spring (fall) % of Females % of Males Ever diagnosed (Dx) 19.2 (20.5) 10.8 (10.7) Of those above: Dx in the past year 36.9 (42.2) 31.0 (36.6) Current therapy 28.9 (26.7) 23.3 (20.3) Current medication 39.3 (40.2) 30.8 (30.3) Sexual abuse/assault (last school year) spring (fall) % of females % of males Sexual touching 11.7 (10.0) 4.7 (3.7) Verbal threats 4.4 (3.7) 2.4 (2.4) Attempted penetration 4.1 (3.4) 1.1 (1.1) Sexual penetration 2.0 (1.8) .8 (0.8) Depression and Suicide Experiencing the following in the past school year: Spring % Fall % Feeling overwhelmed by all they had to do 1-10 times 65.2 64.3 11+ times 28.6 28.2 Feeling exhausted (not from physical activity) 1-10 times 63.8 64.1 11+ times 28.4 25.2 Feeling very sad 1-10 times 66.0 63.5 11+ times 14.7 14.0 Feeling things were hopeless 1-10 times 53.0 50.1 11+ times 10.8 10.3 Feeling so depressed it was difficult to function 1-10 times 38.0 35.0 11+ times 7.7 7.3
3
Seriously considering attempting suicide 1-10 times 9.2 9.6 11+ times 1.0 1.1 Attempting suicide 1-10 times 1.4 1.8 11+ times 0.1 0.2 www.acha.org Antioch College College Student Mental Health Counseling and Wellness Center NAMI Research, 2004 Research by the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) on college mental health (n=1.033 college students, 1,028 parents of college students, 282 patients diagnosed with mental illness; 2004) Prevalence among students: 1/3 experienced prolonged periods of depression 1/4 report suicidal thoughts or feelings 1/7 engage in abnormally reckless behavior 1/7 report difficulty functioning at school due to mental illness Parent vs. student perception: Issue Parents Student?s actual Rate the student?s mental health as below average or poor. 25% 50% The student has experienced a friend who had/has problems functioning at school due to mental health. 7% 30% Discussed mental health issues with parent to prepare for college experience. 75% 22% (Myth) Belief that bipolar disorder is attributed to a character flaw or weak willpower. 35% 48% Preparation: 50% of students report receiving no information from anyone (parents, teachers, clergy, counselors) before coming to college about mental health issues. While in college: 50% of students report receiving no information on mental health from their college. Who to turn to? Students report being most likely to turn to a friend (62%) during a serious mental health crisis. 46% would turn to a parent, 30% would come to a college counseling center. www.nami.org www.namioncampus.org —————————————– Dr. Sattem’s text was quoted from the following on-line post – http://antiochians.org/antiochdocs/alumni-chat/w3.antioch.edu/pipermail/alumni-chat/2007-August.txt
