Host Dr. Adam Dorsay interviews developmental psychologist Dr. Alexis Redding, faculty co-chair of higher education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and editor of Mental Health in College, about supporting college student mental health. Redding explains the book emerged from connecting experts who cared about students but weren’t in conversation, and argues mental health support matters for student engagement, belonging, retention, and the broader developmental work colleges can foster. Drawing on archival interviews from the 1940s and 1970s and contemporary studies of the classes of 2025–2026, she finds core emotions like loneliness and insecurity during transitions remain consistent across generations, despite changes like COVID and social media. She recommends avoiding a constant crisis narrative, training staff to ask clarifying questions about clinical language, and replacing “kids these days” and “best four years” stories with more nuance and vulnerability.
00:00 Welcome to SuperPsyched
00:49 Meet Alexis Redding
02:16 Why This Book Exists
04:56 Mental Health Pays Off
07:55 Loneliness Then and Now
10:37 Roommate Mirror Effect
13:45 Transitions Shape Wellbeing
16:46 Are Kids Really Different
20:33 TikTok Therapy Language
26:18 Stop the Crisis Narrative
29:29 Ditch Kids These Days
35:26 Archeology and Connection
38:43 Vulnerability as the Skill
43:16 Closing Thanks and Subscribe
Helpful Links:
Dr. Alexis Redding
Mental Health in College - What Research Tells Us About Supporting Students Book
Dr. Alexis Redding Instagram
