The Stressed Years of Their Lives, by Dr. B. Janet Hibbs and Dr. Anthony Rostain

Anyone who has been to college or who has a child in college can tell you those years can be stressful.  But why does it seem so much stressful now than it did 30 years ago when I was in college?  (30 years??  Yeah, I'm getting old. . . .)  Psychiatrist Anthony Rostain and psychologist B. Janet Hibbs have first hand experience as counselors and parents observing and treating college kids.  In The Stressed Years of Their Lives: Helping Your Kid Survive and Thrive During Their College Years, they provide parents and educators with some tools they need to deal with their college kids.

Hibbs and Rostain write both as professional counselors and as parents.  In their own families and among their college clients, they see the trends among students.  Over the last few decades, college students are under stress like never before.  They write, "We are now recognizing that our widely accepted education benchmarks--standardized tests, honors in high school, the increasing necessity of a degree from a name brand college--all intended to prepare children for adult success, are often toxic to emotional development."  Getting into college is pressure-filled enough, but "the feeling that if you fail even once in college your entire future is over, that pushes students over the edge."

In this atmosphere of pressure, college counseling offices are busier than ever before.  But it's more than academic pressure and social pressure that impacts many college students.  Hibbs and Rostain explore mental illness and psychological issues that increasingly impact college students.  Anxiety and depression often goes undiagnosed, or are dismissed, sometimes with tragic results.  Thankfully, the stigma attached to these mental illnesses is disappearing, so hopefully college kids and others will be more likely to seek help.

The problem with The Stressed Years is that by the time most parents take time to seek out this book, it's probably too late.  Unfortunately, most parents are not aware of the deep problems their students are having until they are deep into trouble.  Hibbs and Rostain hope to give parents the tools and information they need to prepare their children for college and to recognize warning signs of anxiety, depression, and other issues.  With lots of personal stories and practical steps, parents and their college kids can stave off the inevitable stress of college.


Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!