Marcia Morris

Every year there are media reports about parents suing a university after their college student died by suicide. These parents are distraught that schools were aware of their child’s mental health problem and never informed them. Despite these lawsuits, parents often are left out of the picture when it comes to mental health.

Author and Associate Professor of Psychiatry Dr. Marcia Morris promotes a paradigm shift in how universities and mental health professionals interact with parents, calling for far greater collaboration. Parent involvement is critical at a time when mental health disorders are soaring on campus. Nearly a third of college students were diagnosed with a mental health disorder in the last year – 22% for an anxiety disorder and 18% for depression. Studies show that for adults of any age who have a mental health problem, family involvement can be life-saving.

In her talk, Dr. Morris will discuss ways parents can navigate HIPAA and FERPA privacy laws that place barriers to parent involvement. She will discuss how parents can promote a sense of social belonging on campus, which is critical to wellness and academic success. She will describe how parents and families can help their college students overcome two major obstacles to mental health treatment: stigma and lack of services. Finally, she will review how innovative technologies and online suicide prevention tools could transform mental health care, giving families impacted by mental illness new hope.