The diagnosis of “borderline personality disorder” unfortunately carries with it much stigma. A “personality disorder” may carry negative connotations and the term “borderline” can conjure an image of an unstable person precariously straddling an imaginary line of what would be considered a “normal,” stable personality. BPD is a mental health issue just like anxiety and depression, yet it does not receive the same level of recognition.

Eight to 10 percent of those with the disorder commit suicide, which is a rate 50 times higher than in the general population. More than 70 percent of individuals with BPD will attempt suicide at least once, with rates peaking in individuals in their 20s and 30s.

Because of the dangerous consequences of BPD, it is important to increase understanding and encourage those with symptoms to seek therapeutic help, particularly in the vulnerable young adult population.

See how to recognize symptoms in my article appearing in The Hullabaloo.

More Information:

Personality Disorders Institute

The Tulane community has suffered several tragedies during the Fall 2014 semester, highlighting the need for awareness and advocacy for mental health issues on campus. Tulane isn’t alone in this mental health crisis. Colleges across the country struggle to meet the needs of their students and reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness. In order for us to come together as a community, we must talk about the unique mental health challenges college students face. Students must feel empowered to discuss mental health issues, while supporting and encouraging their peers to seek help when they need it.

See my article in The Hullabaloo to learn more about college mental health.

More Resources for College Mental Health:

Active Minds

The Jed Foundation

ULifeLine.org

National Institute of Mental Health

The days are getting shorter, the sunshine fades faster and the winter chill has arrived on Tulane’s campus. While the winter weather brings with it the anticipation of holiday vacations and festive cheer, it can also be a stressful time for college students as final exams draw near. For many, the change of season also brings a change of mood, known as seasonal affective disorder or major depressive disorder with a seasonal pattern. This disorder often begins in the late teens and early 20′s, with prevalence rates in college students ranging from 5 to 13 percent. Learn more about this seasonal phenomenon here.

Hazing is a practice often talked about on college campuses, particularly when students are considering which organizations to join. Despite strict rules banning this behavior, hazing still occurs regularly and is often considered a part of campus culture. The National Study of Student Hazing, including responses from 11,000 undergraduate students at 53 colleges and universities, found that more than half of college students involved in campus organizations experience hazing.

Why does this tradition still persist, despite strict rules against it? What are the hidden psychological dangers of hazing? What can college campuses do about it? Check out my latest article in The Hullabaloo here!

Hazing Resources:

StopHazing.org

HazingPrevention.org

I’ve recently had several opportunities to share my interest in social media when it comes to public mental health, patient education, and advocacy. I’ve started writing as the Digital Media in Psychiatry Columnist for Psychiatric Times, working as the Media Editor for American Journal of Psychiatry Residents’ Journal, and had the amazing opportunity to be interviewed for Get Social Health, a new podcast about healthcare and social media.

If you’re interested in social media and mental health advocacy, check out some of my resources below! Would also love to hear what you think about mental health and social media, comments welcome!

Social Media: An Opportunity for Psychiatrists, Psychiatric Times, July 9, 2014

Psychiatry and Professionalism in the Digital Age, Psychiatric Times, June 19, 2014

Get Social Health Podcast, June 15, 2014

College students are particularly vulnerable to sexual assaults, with 19 percent of college women having experienced an attempted or completed sexual assault since entering college. Often called the “silent epidemic” on college campuses, sexual assaults are the most underreported crime, with 95 percent of attacks being unreported. These type of assaults take serious emotional tolls, with rape survivors being 13 times more likely to attempt suicide than people who have not been victimized. To learn more about the emotional tolls of sexual assaults and resources Tulane offers for survivors, check out my latest article in The Tulane Hullabaloo.

Twenty-five percent of college students suffer from an eating disorder, and this statistic is on the rise according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric disorder and females between the ages of 15-24 with anorexia are 12 times more likely to die from the illness than any other causes of death. Pathological dieting and poor eating habits have become normalized on college campuses, with students skipping meals or or doing “fad diets” so that they can go out to eat or binge drink at night. To learn more about eating disorders on college campuses, check out my article appearing in The Tulane Hullabaloo.

For more information, check out these links:

National Eating Disorders Association

National Institute of Mental Health

Suicide is the second-largest leading cause of death on college campuses, with approximately 1,100 students dying by suicide every year. Click my latest column below to learn more about suicide in college students, the risk factors and warning signs, and knowing how and when to seek support. Although the answer to preventing these tragedies is complicated, it can certainly start with educating ourselves about this tragic mental health issue.

Pop culture icons such as Miley Cyrus, Madonna and Kanye West have glorified through their music the use of a popular drug called Molly, also known as MDMA or ecstasy.  The drug has become very popular in the college party scene with a reported 5.8% of college students having used the drug in 2013. Although drug users often report a euphoric high from the drug, there is a dark side including serious physical and mental health risks. Check out my latest column to learn more!

Therapy can benefit many people but is too often avoided. Some think they will be labeled as “crazy” by simply going to a therapist while others don’t understand exactly what goes on in the therapy room.

On this edition of Psych Gumbo, we will demystify the therapy session by discussing popular forms of therapy, who can benefit from therapy and how to shop for a good therapist.

Today’s special guest is Dr. Arjune Rama. Dr. Rama is a third year psychiatry resident at Yale School of Medicine. He also writes regularly about psychiatry in print and online. His work has been published in The New York Times “Motherlode” blog, Slate.com, and The New Haven Register among others. In addition to his clinical work he also teaches interviewing and writing skills to medical students in Yale’s psychiatry clerkship.