QUALITY MENTAL HEALTH CARE FOR COLLEGIANS.

• Position: University of Iowa study says good counseling centers available for students on campus - Brief Article - Statistical Data Included

Contrary to some critics' assertions, university counseling centers are well-equipped to provide high-quality mental health services to students. According to University of Iowa, Iowa City, researchers, these centers are staffed with well-trained professionals with advanced degrees who engage in formal, structured assessments of each new client and are prepared to address the range of mental health issues students face.

Gerald Stone, director of the university's Counseling Services and lead investigator for the study, indicates that this is the first time anyone has evaluated the state of campus counseling centers using data, rather than anecdotal evidence. The study is based on survey responses from 114 campus counseling centers at large and small public and private universities in 38 states. Among the findings:

* 94% of campus counseling centers in the U.S. have counselors with doctoral degrees in clinical or counseling psychology on staff.

* 28% have a medical doctor on staff.

* A majority of counseling centers use psychologists or psychiatrists to make diagnoses.

* 92% conduct some form of intake interview, with 61% utilizing a structured formal interview to ask the same questions of each new client.

* A majority of staff...