Parents unaware of students’ mental health struggles

A new survey of college students and the parents of college students found big disparities in their perceptions of student mental health struggles. The study, conducted by YouGov on behalf of UnitedHealthcare, showed that while 41 percent of students said they’d experienced depression, only 22 percent of parents thought their children had ever been depressed. Similarly, 11 percent of students reported having dealt with an eating disorder, while only 5 percent of parents said they believed their children had. And students reported suicidal ideation at more than three times the rate (13 percent) their parents imagined (4 percent).