In the United States, a new 15 year, nationwide study of college students has revealed a shocking increase in the incidence of depression among this population. The researchers found that the number of students with reports of ongoing sadness and hopelessness has increased steadily, along with their ability to function day-to-day deteriorating. While the awareness campaigns, such as mental health week, and counseling resources have improved, college student depression remains a serious issue for students, particularly for young men who are less likely to access services for this issue.
There are many causes of college student depression, including academic pressure, financial; stress, social media comparisons, as well as uncertainty about the future. Many college students try to balance their academic responsibilities to work and to family or other relationships while trying to manage their depression through various forms of sadness, including changes in appetites and insomnia. The authors of the study also noted that young men in college are less likely to report issues with depression or anxiety, either to researchers or to their physicians, indicating that the true incidence of depression among college students is likely even higher than what has been demonstrated through this study.
To meet the needs associated with mental health, universities are responding to this crisis in various ways by: expanding mental health services on their own campuses, adding new mental health services like drop-in counseling, peer support groups, and online therapy specifically focused around college students suffering from depression; training faculty to look for signs of students at risk for developing mental health issues and developing a “no wrong door” approach that means any member of staff may support students who may have mental health issues or concerns about mental health; and providing opportunities for students to share their experience of having suffered from depression as a college student through social media and campus events to help create an environment in which it is normal to reach out for help.
The long wait times for counseling still exist in many colleges and universities; and the stigma attached to college student depression exist, particularly among undergraduate students who come from families or systems of support that are the first in their family to attend college, or in the case of international students are also coming from countries where mental health issues are often stigmatized.
Advocates and researchers state that the next step is to focus on prevention efforts (build students’ resiliency and coping skills early), change campus culture to make rest, community, and balance as important as obtaining good grades, etc. The data released from the University of XYZ to develop a plan to design services that can effectively support college student depression should be looked at as the first step (wake-up call) that college student depression has changed from a problem with individual students, into a public health crisis that needs to be addressed in various and ongoing ways.
Source: U.S. News – 15-Year Study on College Student Depression
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