Depression among college students on the rise

The stresses of a college student are typical: high academic pressures, new financial responsibilities, time-management issues and new relationships can put anyone on the edge.

For some students however, dealing with these issues is simply too much to bear.

"It all seems to hit at the same time," said Jane Moore, an anonymous student of Southern Methodist University, who suffers from depression. "I didn't really cope with it, which is bad, because it just builds and builds."

Moore, a sophomore double major, is one of many college students nationwide dealing with depressive symptoms on a daily basis.

According to the American College Health Association's National College Health Assessment (ACHA-NCHA), the number of college students who reported "having ever been diagnosed with depression" increased by 4.6 percentage points from 10.3 percent of students in 2000 to 14.9 percent of students in 2004. On SMU's campus, the trend holds true.

In a typical classroom, three-fourths of the students surveyed know at least one peer currently taking anti-depressant medication.

As the cases of mental illness steadily increase, this trend is drawing more attention to the resources offered on college campuses. Nationwide increases As reported in USA Today, in 2001, University of Pittsburg psychologist Robert Gallagher conducted a survey of North American college counseling centers.

According to the results, 85 percent of the colleges surveyed reported an increase during the past five years in the number of students with severe psychological problems.

The survey's additional findings are sobering: about 30 percent of the schools reported at least one suicide in the previous year, drawing attention to the fact that suicide is the second leading cause of death among college students.

"Mental illness is absolutely going off the charts on college campuses," said Hara Marano of Psychology Today in an interview with USA Today. "College counseling centers used to be the backwaters of the mental health care system. Now they are the front line." Prevalent among youth According to Active Minds Inc., a national non-profit organization that aims to develop student-run mental health awareness groups on college campuses, half of all adults with depression report onset before age 20 and young adults aged 18 to 24 have the highest prevalence of diagnosable forms of mental illness at 27 percent.

Although a combination of genetic, psychological and environmental factors specific to each student contributes to mental illness, increased levels of anxiety among college students are to blame for many depressive symptoms.

Dealing with stressful issues such as adapting to a new environment, poor eating and sleeping habits, high academic rigor and identity development can lead to severe anxiety, a leading cause of depression. Snowball effect "As stressors build up, you become more and more vulnerable," said Dr. Kevin Lambert, Psy. D, of the SMU Memorial Health Center. "If anxiety isn't dealt with, people can develop depressive symptoms."

Lambert believes that SMU students may actually be more prone to anxiety issues than students at other universities because of the high cost of tuition, the prestige of the institution and the pressure to perform well for parents.

"SMU is pretty true to form, but maybe a little more anxiety [exists] on our campus because of the environment," said Lambert.

Within the 2005-2006 academic year, of all students who went to the Memorial Health Center counseling and testing department, 36 percent felt they had symptoms of depression.

After evaluations, 25 percent were later diagnosed with clinical depression or another mood disorder while 12 percent showed signs of severe anxiety.

"I remember calling and saying I wanted to drop out," said Linda Yater, licensed counselor and Assistant Superintendent for student services at Dallas Independent School District. "You're thrown into a totally different environment. You feel kind of lost. If you don't get engaged in something on campus, you can feel disconnected and lonely." Freedom at a price Ironically, one of the most liberating aspects of college life is also one of the most overwhelming.

The new freedom to make important and sometimes life-altering decisions instills fear and confusion among many students.

"I think the college student is at risk for depression because it's a transition time between childhood and adulthood, so they're suddenly questioning the values and beliefs they've been taught," said Laura DeLaMatyr, a former SMU career counselor. "They're trying to determine who they are as opposed to who their parents want them to be and that growth period is painful."

In addition to adapting to college life and dealing with pressures from parents and family, many students face a constant struggle to identify with peers.

"A lot of it is stress, but a lot of it is that I'm not the 'typical SMU girl' and I feel like I don't fit in at all," said Moore. Differences in genders These feelings highlight the differences in depressive symptoms between men and women and how they're handled.

While the SMU Counseling and Testing Center reports that more women seek their services, a large amount of depression cases among men are likely underreported.

"I'd like to say going to counseling is becoming a little less taboo," said Lambert. "We'd like to see more men come in and feel comfortable."

Lambert notes that while women tend to be more willing to talk and seek help, men are prone to show depression through angry outbursts, irritability and forms of "self-medication," such as alcohol, before admitting they have a problem and seeking counseling.

Depression and anxiety are risk factors not just for alcoholism, but also for eating disorders.