Depression In College Students

College brings many changes to a young adolescent. Moving away from parents and being on your own is the biggest and sometimes scariest step. This change for college students can sometimes be very dramatic and can often lead to depression. A column written by Michael Kerr (2012) reported that one out of every four-college student suffers from some sort of mental illness, depression being the most common. It also stated that 44 percent of American college students report having symptoms of depression. College is supposed to be a time of growth, learning and self-discovery. What factors play a contributing role to the rates of depression found in college students? Research by Nyer and colleagues (2013) has suggested that sleep disturbances and anxiety contribute to depression-like symptoms in students. Another study conducted by Xueting, Hong, Bin and Taisheng (2013) found that students who were trying to reach perfect grades in their academics found themselves falling short of expectations which triggered symptoms of depression. Varied distractions, academic or financial difficulties, substance abuse, lack of sleep and unstable friendships are additional risk factors for depression (Xueting, 2013). If not left untreated, students often resort to suicide as a way out of the depression. (Wilcox, 2013)
Mental health professionals classify depression as a disorder that affects a person’s thoughts and feelings. “At some point during their lifetime, depression plagues 17 percent of U.S. adults.” (Myers, 2006 p. 621) In the year 2000, 76% of college students felt “overwhelmed” and 22% were unable to function as a result of their depression (American College Health Association, 2001). Major depressive disorder is characterized by extreme...

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...g about suicide were more likely to attempt suicide than those who had attempted before. This finding suggested that mental health professional cannot assume those people who think about committing suicide more are at higher risk. Also, professionals cannot assume that those who have a single suicidal thought are safer than those who think about suicide more often.
From the research stated above, one can see that depression is prominent in college students. Adjusting to college life, keeping up with academics, sleep deprivation and substance abuse are all factors that contribute to depression in college students. When left untreated or if a person does seek help for the depression, they may turn to suicide as a way to deal with the pain that depression causes them. Proper counseling and screenings for students can help decrease depression and suicide in students.