“Now they’re bringing in life stories involving extensive trauma, a history of serious mental illness, eating disorders, self-injury, alcohol and other drug use.”

A recent survey conducted by the American College Counseling Association found that 44% of students seeking counseling already had diagnosed psychiatric disorders. But Hwang and other experts agree that modern college students may not necessarily be less mentally healthy than in past generations. Rather, it could be that psychotropic medications now allow vulnerable teens — who may not have made it to college in the past — to do well enough in high school to gain college admission and survive on campus, the New York Times reports.