The warning signs aren’t always obvious, but college counselors say they can include withdrawn behavior, declining hygiene, sleeping in class, angry outbursts – even something as innocuous as habitual lateness.

Dr. Susan Hawkins, director of Seattle University’s counseling and psychological services, cautioned not to “overpathologize” the behavior of young students.

“It is important to recognize that late adolescence — the college years — are a time of trying on new identities, new behavior and extreme manners of dress and other changes that are well within what’s normal,” Hawkins wrote in an e-mail. “Young adults are often passionate in (their) feelings, ideas and expressions.”

Hawkins said it’s hard to generalize about the issues students face, but she added, “Our most-stressed students tend to be law students and nursing students.”

Dave Brown, president of the Graduate and Professional Student Senate at the UW, said it’s the schools’ responsibility to provide free mental health services to students to help ensure their success.

He recalled sitting in his orientation at the UW and listening to a psychologist say that by choosing to go to law school, he and his soon-to-be colleagues were at a greater risk for drug addiction, clinical depression and similar disorders. “Welcome to law school,” Brown said.

But counselors and local university officials say there’s another problem facing campus mental health services: staffing shortages. Godfrey said the UW wants to increase its counseling staff by as many as five or six positions. The counseling center employs eight psychologists now.

Starting next fall, counseling services at the UW will be free. But for spring and summer quarters, students still have to pay a $30 fee starting with their seventh session.

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