Is there a place on campus to get tested for mental health disorders? Will my student insurance cover it?
Most of the time when people ask us about testing for mental health disorders, they’re talking about Attention Deficit Disorder, or ADD. (It’s called ADHD if there is an element of Hyperactivity in addition to attention problems.) And yes, there is a place to get tested on campus.
This type of testing is performed by a neuropsychologists and psychologists, and we are lucky to have some of them here at Ohio State. You will need a referral from a primary health care provider in order to schedule an appointment for this testing, which we are happy to provide.
We usually refer students to Dr. Robert Bornstein, Dr. Douglas Kramer, or Dr. Elizabeth Cook at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. Dr. Bornstein does the testing at the first appointment and it takes about 4 hours to complete. Dr. Kramer and Dr. Cook will bring you in for a consultation first to determine what testing they want to do and then have you return for the testing itself.
Once the testing has been completed, the doctor will analyze the results and send a formal report back to you and the referring health care provider. At that point, you would schedule a follow-up appointment with your referring provider to go over the results and determine the appropriate course of action.
OSU Aetna Student Health Insurance does cover ADD/ADHD testing. We can’t quote you an exact cost, but you can contact the Student Health Insurance office at 614-688-7979 to get more information about your benefits.
Whether or not you do formal neuropsychiatric testing, Counseling and Consultative Service offers individual and group counseling services for students with ADHD and The Office of Disability Services can assist students with ADHD in obtaining necessary accommodations for academic work. However, it’s important to note that neither of these offices offers testing.
There are certainly other mental health issues besides ADD/ADHD that affect college and grad/professional students, but there aren’t specific tests to make or confirm the diagnosis. These require a comprehensive evaluation by a health professional – sometimes multiple evaluations with multiple professionals – and luckily there are many resources here on campus (and beyond) that we connect you with if needed.
If you have any questions about the diagnosis and management of any mental health issues you are experiencing, you’re always welcome to call or make an appointment to speak with us about it.
Alison Sauers
Student Health Services
The Ohio State University
John A. Vaughn, MD
Student Health Services
The Ohio State University