The stressed years of their lives Helping your kid survive and thrive during their college years

What best years? More than half of college students have had suicidal thoughts, one of many scary, eye-opening statistics found in this thorough, advice-packed guide. Coauthors family-therapist Hibbs and Rostain, who is a professor of psychiatry and pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania, authoritatively share wisdom gleaned from their professional and personal experiences. Hibbs even talks openly about her own son, who suffered from depression, which necessitated a medical leave from college. It's disheartening to read that the top two causes of college deaths are alcohol poisoning and party-related accidents followed by suicide. But the authors arm parents with tragedy-prevention tools, many presented in sidebars with titles like How Students Can Help Themselves and How Parents Can Help Students. (One suggestion from the latter: Practice roses and thorns.' Ask your student to share the ups and downs of day-to-day life."") The authors also remind mothers and fathers to be responsive, warm listeners who offer calm support and love. They observe that parents as partners' is becoming the mantra of higher education. Expect to feel empowered.--Karen Springen Copyright 2019 Booklist

A parental guidebook to helping teens navigate the highs and lows of college.As psychologist and marriage therapist Hibbs (co-author: Try to See It My Way: Being Fair in Love and Marriage, 2009) and Rostain (Psychiatry and Pediatrics/Perelman School of Medicine, Univ. of Pennsylvania; Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Adult ADHD, 2007, etc.) write, today's "students experience the very real burdens of constant striving on behalf of uncertain futures, amidst swiftly changing political and economic landscapes. They're also stressed by the 24/7 availability of the internet, by social media pressures and the resulting metrics of constant comparisons, whether social or academic." Little wonder, then, that anxiety, depression, and suicide rates are also on the rise. The authors use case studies and research to discuss the issues affecting teens and give helpful advice to parents on how they can help combat the seemingly insurmountable problems faced by college-age youths. The authors encourage parents to let go of maintaining their child's schedule before they head off to college so that they have a sense of independence and understand the full spectrum of their responsibilities. There are useful checklists that cover such topics as the early warning signs of mental health problems, how to curb the use of smartphones, methods for coping other than alcohol or drugs, and ways to assess the counseling available on campus. Much of the information is common sense and practical, and the authors spell everything out in an easily assimilated format. With "an explosion of mental health problems verging on an epidemic, with a sky-rocketing number of students seeking help," this is the type of book every parent should read before discussions of college even begin.Packing in just the right amount of statistics and real-world scenarios, two doctors offer sound advice on how parents can better prepare their children for the challenging college years that lie ahead of them. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.