Since the Sept. 11 terrorist attack in 2001, Christopher Flynn, a clinical psychologist and director of the Counseling and Career Services Center, believes that the Counseling and Career Services Center has become well staffed, despite the fact that Loyola’s student utilization of counseling services is higher than other average universities.

Last year Dr. Robert Gallagher, an adjunct clinical associate professor from the University of Pittsburgh, conducted an annual national survey of college students and counseling center directors, which found alarming trends in student health.

The survey of 1,500 students at 15 colleges and universities reported that over the past five years, the number of students considering suicide tripled.

More than 80 percent of counseling center directors found an increase in students with severe psychological disorders, and 65 percent of those directors also felt that the demand for counseling services had increased without sufficient resources.

Loyola University’s Counseling and Career Services Center has addressed their concerns about the national trend. Flynn reported the survey’s results during a student affairs committee meeting on Nov. 21, 2003.

“We had a tremendous demand in psychiatric services and we struggled to keep up” after Sept. 11, Flynn said. Between 2001-02, Loyola had nearly an 80 percent increase in student individual appointments.

“All of the counseling center is busy, so we could easily use more staff,” Flynn said. “In particular, our psychiatrist hours could be doubled.”

He accounts the increase of counseling services due to Loyola’s increased enrollment of sophisticated students who are more aware of and interested in using counseling center services.

Among other issues reported in the survey were student medication usage and alcoholism. University president the Rev. William Byron, S.J, said during a meeting with faculty members this semester that Loyola’s freshmen, particularly female freshmen, have a drinking problem.

Flynn said that Byron’s concerns simply reflected a growing trend.

“Father Byron’s concern reflects that women are more at risk because they’re drinking more, in general, than they have in the past” he said.

Women who binge drink are reported to be more likely to participate in unplanned sexual behavior and not use protection.

Flynn said he feels fortunate that Loyola University hasn’t had any student deaths due to alcohol overdose.

He said that the center does surveys every other year, and that the drinking on Loyola’s campus has stayed fairly constant for the past 12 years.

However, he believes that people within the university has been very supportive, namely Dr. Jim Eiseman, Vice-President of Student Affairs, Dr. Vickie McNeil, associate vice-president of student affairs, the Rev. Benard Knoth, S.J. former president, and Byron.

The national survey also reported that roughly 6 percent of students were taking medication for psychological concern, and almost 12 percent of students had used medication for psychological concerns in the past.

For students who experience depression, anxiety, sleep deprivation, eating disorders, or any behavior that warrants medication, the Counseling and Career Services Center does diagnose medication after initial screening by a counselor and a referral to a psychiatrist.

In addition to Flynn, who is a licensed psychologist, the Counseling and Career Services Center has two psychologists who are presently completing their license requirements.

The center’s staff also consists of a part-time psychiatrist, a part-time licensed professional counselor and a social worker.

Flynn’s report shows that anxiety and depression are the two most common problems that cause student usage of medication at Loyola.

“The good news is that in the treatment of both problems, Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors are safe to give people because of its low toxicity level and its effectiveness to alleviate depression and anxiety,” Flynn said.

“Some students that come to the university, having already gone through some painful life experiences, can be predisposed to psychological problems which is why we are better at recognizing depression and anxiety,” Flynn said.