January
Dr. Kathryn Benes, director of the IPS training clinic, was invited to speak at the 4th Annual Petrus Leadership Conference held January 5-7, 2009 in Austin, Texas.
In the two-part series titled, A Case for Campus Ministry: Psychological Issues Facing Students, Dr. Benes discussed how mental health concerns are a prevalent part of student life on today’s college campuses. Citing a recent national collegiate mental health survey, Dr. Benes reported that 10% of college students were diagnosed with depression, while 7% reported anxiety disorders. Eating disorders affected 1-5 million college age women and approximately 1 million college age men. Finally, suicide is ranked as the third leading cause of death among young people between the ages of 15 and 24.
Dr. Benes stressed that it is imperative for Catholic organizations, such as campus ministries, to know how to best assist these students from a Catholic perspective. Part 1 of the series addressed the prevalence of collegiate mental health issues while Part II discussed what can be done by those working in campus ministries.