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For Release
Based on a combination of generational factors college counseling centers across the country have seen a sharp increase in the demand for services, according to a paper co-written by Sarah Lacey, a King’s College senior, and Dr. Charles Blewitt. The paper, “An Uneasy Stasis: Increased Service Demands of Generation Y Students Seeking College Counseling Services,” has been accepted for presentation at the 79th annual meeting of the Eastern Psychological Association to be held in Boston March 13-16. Founded in 1896, the Eastern Psychological Association is the oldest of the regional Psychological Associations in the United States. Lacey, a resident of Noxen majoring in psychology and neuroscience, teamed with Blewitt to research and write the paper as part of an internship for college credit. Blewitt is an employee of Scranton Counseling Center and is contracted by the College to provide counseling services. Their research found that students currently attending college, members of Generation Y (born between 1978 and 1989), are more likely than any previous generation to enter college with a history of psychological involvement. Members of this group are also more likely to enter college with a documented history of using psychotropic medications. “Recent campus tragedies, increasing levels of depression, anxiety, and usage of psychotropic medications, have prompted a closer look at the role of counseling centers. The increase has been attributed to societal factors, large amounts of stress and the increased amount of students now attending college. However, many college counseling centers have not kept pace with this increase and continue to have a limited number of counseling hours and staff available,” Lacey and Blewitt wrote in the paper’s abstract. Editor’s Note: A complete copy of the paper can be obtained by contacting John McAndrew, director of public relations, at (570)208-5958 (office). King's College is a Catholic College sponsored by the congregation of Holy Cross. |