Though events such as the 2006 Virginia Tech shootings have forced some colleges to take a tougher stance on students with mental illnesses, Boston-area college students should not fear reprimand just for seeking mental help, school officials say.

Midwestern schools Eastern Illinois University and St. Norbert College have given mentally ill students the choice to take a voluntary leave of absence or be expelled, according to a Dec. 27 Chicago Tribune article. However, these sorts of policies are not in effect everywhere.

“BU does not have an official policy of ‘take a medical leave of absence or get expelled,’ but aims to work with students individually to best fit their needs,” said Student Health Services director of behavioral medicine Margaret Ross.

When students seek psychiatric treatment at SHS, Ross said a full evaluation is done to figure out what will be most helpful for the student. They also offer short-term individual or group treatment, help with referrals to clinicians or nearby programs and evaluation and treatment with medication.

Ross said the most common issues SHS treats are adjustment issues, academic and social pressures and body-image problems. She said SHS does sometimes treat more severe problems such as substance abuse or dependence, depression and bipolar disorder.

BU’s policy for treating mental illness does not drive dangerous behavior underground for fear of expulsion or disciplinary consequences, Ross said.

“We generally have found that students who realize that they are in trouble want to get help,” she said.

Ross said helping a student return to the academic program often requires them to work closely with the student’s family and university staff and faculty. She said she could not comment on treatment information because student records are confidential.

“The only exception to confidentiality is when there is a life or death situation, when the student is a danger to self or others, and then confidentiality becomes secondary to safety considerations,” Ross said.

BU clinical psychology program director Michael Lyons said he supports the university’s policy of considering each student as an individual case.

“It really depends very much on the situation,” Lyons said. “Sometimes [forcing medical leave] may be inappropriate . . . other times it might be in everyone’s best interest. I don’t think it’s justified, but there is an obligation to the students at the university as well as the student involved.”

Lyons said a school’s no-tolerance stance could cause students to keep their illness private and not seek treatment, pointing to U.S. soldiers’ silence about post-traumatic stress disorder due to similar military policies.

Department of Education spokesman Jim Bradshaw said in addition to BU’s non-release policy, the federal Family Education Rights and Privacy Act also prohibits the release of student records.

He said there are exceptions to the law because “every case is different.”