Source: Fred Newton, 785-532-3875, newtonf@k-state.edu
http://www.k-state.edu/counseling/Annual 2003
News release prepared by: Beth Bohn, 785-532-6415

Monday, October 6, 2003

ANNUAL REPORT SHOWS WHICH STUDENTS MORE LIKELY TO USE K-STATE'S COUNSELING SERVICES

MANHATTAN -- Female students and students with grade point averages above 3.0 were more likely to seek help from Kansas State University's counseling services during the 2002-03 school year, according to the agency's 2003 annual report.

The report summarizes services provided, counseling outcomes and financial statement from the previous year, said Fred Newton, director of counseling services.

According to the report:

* About 1,000 K-State students came to counseling services for individual or group counseling during the 2002-2003 school year;

* sixty-five percent of the clients were female;

* seventy-one percent of the clients lived off campus, while about 19 percent lived in a residence hall;

* just over 29 percent of the clients were seniors, while 16 percent were freshmen;

* and nearly 53 percent of clients were first-timers in seeking counseling help.

"This information is helpful in learning how to target students, such as freshmen, in making better use of our services," Newton said. "Similarly, we are considering ways to reach students with special needs and concerns."

Symptoms of depression or stress and anxiety concerns are the most common reasons students come to counseling services, Newton said. "Seventy percent of our clients reported concern in relationships, a majority of which were around family matters."

Grief or loss reactions were present with 23 percent of counseling services' clients and health concerns with 13 percent.

"Two-thirds of all clients presenting concerns indicated that these concerns moderately to severely affected their social or academic life," Newton said.

Most clients also reported that the counseling they received made a slight to substantial difference in alleviating their symptoms, he said.

Demand for several services provided by counseling services increased in the last school year, according to the report. Included was a 29 percent increase in daytime or evening on-call appointments and a 4 percent increase in biofeedback appointments.

The previous year also brought a slight change in operations for counseling services. With the relocation of K-State' student health center, Lafene, to the Mercy Regional Health Center building on Sunset Avenue, counseling services has done some relocating of its services in the former Lafene Health Center building.

"One result of this change was to move all of our service functions to the second floor, including biofeedback and alcohol education," Newton said. "There is considerable advantage to having one floor for all operations in terms of communication access and space utilization."

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