College pressure can lead to depression
The Spartan Daily
By Angela Marino
November 19, 2009
One of the great barriers to treating depression is that while it is common, people don't talk about it, an SJSU psychologist said.
Most people who are depressed do not have suicidal thoughts, but it can happen, said David Emmert, a Counseling Services Center psychologist.
"Suicide results in a desire to get release from unbearable pain, not the actual desire to die, but more of an escape from the sadness and worthlessness feeling," he said.
Desiree Ansari, a freshman public relations major, said she approached a friend about her unusual behavior.
"She sleeps all day long and cries all the time," Ansari said. "She is struggling to transition from being away from her family to living in the dorms, and she is thinking about transferring closer to home."
Approximately 17 percent of SJSU students reported experiencing symptoms of depression within the past 12 months, according to the Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education Web site, which describes the organization as a voice for student affairs administration and policy.
In a 2009 study, researchers found that 15 percent of graduate students and 18 percent of undergraduate students have considered attempting suicide in their lifetimes, according to the Suicide Prevention Resource Center Web site, which is published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Causes of Depression
Emmert said college students are prone to perfectionism and self-critical thinking until about the age of 25.
"Some common thoughts among people this age are, 'If I can't graduate, then I am never going to get a good job and what's the point of even living,'" he said.
It is typical to have a lot of pressure during the college years, Emmert said.
Many factors are compiled when a student is depressed, he said.
Certain anxiety factors could be a student who is the first to graduate from college within their family or the high cost of tuition expenses, Emmert said.
Brad Bridgewater, a junior justice studies major, said one of his friends has not been the same after the friend got a full work and school schedule.
"He works at Best Buy full time, as well as taking five classes, and he hasn't been able to hang out with us for six months, because his workload is so stressful," he said. "When I talk to him on the phone, I can tell that he has changed, and something may be wrong."
Cielo Avalos, a health education consultant for the Office of Suicide Prevention at the California Department of Mental Health, said it's not that college students are more prone to depression -it is how they handle major changes in their lives.
"The new environment has a lot to do with when depression could occur," Avalos said. "College students at a young age leave a supportive environment and it is replaced with an unfamiliar place that can seem unwelcoming and difficult to fit into."
In a poll engaged by 1,759 students from across the country, they were asked what aspect of college they find the most stressful, according to Ulifeline web site, which is an online resource for college students to research and discuss their mental health issues.
The Ulifeline web site's poll results showed that 27.6 percent of students answered academics, 20.2 percent answered fitting in and making friends, while 20 percent answered dating and relationships.
According to the program's Web site, Ulifeline was created by the Jed Foundation, the nation's leading suicide prevention program, and is overseen by medical professionals.
Pete Wentz, lead singer of the band Fall Out Boy, went public with his battle with depression while he was struggling to balance superstardom and college, according to the Half of Us Web site, which was created by "mtvU" and the Jed Foundation to help raise public awareness about the commonness of mental health issues on campus and connect students to the appropriate resources to get help.
"My darkest moment was when we just finished our major label record," Wentz stated on the Web site. "I felt completely lost and out of control. It's not about just keeping your head above water, it's about feeling all right and feeling safe in your own skin."
Terra Worden, a senior communication studies major, said depression is more common than people think, because it is not discussed.
"When someone goes through a hard time, some sort of depression happens, but not at the degree that needs to be sought help from professionals," she said. "It is important to understand the severity of the depression that you have, because like most things people think that they can solve the problem, but people need to ask for help."
Recovery
Emmert, a psychologist at the Counseling Services Center, said medication can be a great tool to help people feel better, but a combination of talk therapy and medication, if it is prescribed, is the best route to recovery.
Talk therapy is defined as a focus on a client talking about their problems and issues to a licensed professional, according to Harvard Health Publications Web site.
Jennifer Turner, a public information officer for the Office of Suicide Prevention for the California Department of Mental Health, said depression can happen to anyone.
"It is important to understand to ask for help if you have these symptoms," she said. "Help is out there, and people should not self-medicate with other substances such as alcohol or illegal substances.
"The best way to relieve pain is to find someone you trust and talk about it."
Monica Villa, a freshman communication studies major, said this is an issue that is coming to light now but has been around for decades.
"College is a difficult transition compared to a high school system," she said. "College professors treat you like an adult, and many students don't know how to handle this new responsibility."
"I am a first-year student myself, and I learned quickly that you have to rely on yourself to get your work done," Villa said. "Many students don't know how to create a balance between social and academic commitments."
The Spartan Daily
By Angela Marino
November 19, 2009
One of the great barriers to treating depression is that while it is common, people don't talk about it, an SJSU psychologist said.
Most people who are depressed do not have suicidal thoughts, but it can happen, said David Emmert, a Counseling Services Center psychologist.
"Suicide results in a desire to get release from unbearable pain, not the actual desire to die, but more of an escape from the sadness and worthlessness feeling," he said.
Desiree Ansari, a freshman public relations major, said she approached a friend about her unusual behavior.
"She sleeps all day long and cries all the time," Ansari said. "She is struggling to transition from being away from her family to living in the dorms, and she is thinking about transferring closer to home."
Approximately 17 percent of SJSU students reported experiencing symptoms of depression within the past 12 months, according to the Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education Web site, which describes the organization as a voice for student affairs administration and policy.
In a 2009 study, researchers found that 15 percent of graduate students and 18 percent of undergraduate students have considered attempting suicide in their lifetimes, according to the Suicide Prevention Resource Center Web site, which is published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Causes of Depression
Emmert said college students are prone to perfectionism and self-critical thinking until about the age of 25.
"Some common thoughts among people this age are, 'If I can't graduate, then I am never going to get a good job and what's the point of even living,'" he said.
It is typical to have a lot of pressure during the college years, Emmert said.
Many factors are compiled when a student is depressed, he said.
Certain anxiety factors could be a student who is the first to graduate from college within their family or the high cost of tuition expenses, Emmert said.
Brad Bridgewater, a junior justice studies major, said one of his friends has not been the same after the friend got a full work and school schedule.
"He works at Best Buy full time, as well as taking five classes, and he hasn't been able to hang out with us for six months, because his workload is so stressful," he said. "When I talk to him on the phone, I can tell that he has changed, and something may be wrong."
Cielo Avalos, a health education consultant for the Office of Suicide Prevention at the California Department of Mental Health, said it's not that college students are more prone to depression -it is how they handle major changes in their lives.
"The new environment has a lot to do with when depression could occur," Avalos said. "College students at a young age leave a supportive environment and it is replaced with an unfamiliar place that can seem unwelcoming and difficult to fit into."
In a poll engaged by 1,759 students from across the country, they were asked what aspect of college they find the most stressful, according to Ulifeline web site, which is an online resource for college students to research and discuss their mental health issues.
The Ulifeline web site's poll results showed that 27.6 percent of students answered academics, 20.2 percent answered fitting in and making friends, while 20 percent answered dating and relationships.
According to the program's Web site, Ulifeline was created by the Jed Foundation, the nation's leading suicide prevention program, and is overseen by medical professionals.
Pete Wentz, lead singer of the band Fall Out Boy, went public with his battle with depression while he was struggling to balance superstardom and college, according to the Half of Us Web site, which was created by "mtvU" and the Jed Foundation to help raise public awareness about the commonness of mental health issues on campus and connect students to the appropriate resources to get help.
"My darkest moment was when we just finished our major label record," Wentz stated on the Web site. "I felt completely lost and out of control. It's not about just keeping your head above water, it's about feeling all right and feeling safe in your own skin."
Terra Worden, a senior communication studies major, said depression is more common than people think, because it is not discussed.
"When someone goes through a hard time, some sort of depression happens, but not at the degree that needs to be sought help from professionals," she said. "It is important to understand the severity of the depression that you have, because like most things people think that they can solve the problem, but people need to ask for help."
Recovery
Emmert, a psychologist at the Counseling Services Center, said medication can be a great tool to help people feel better, but a combination of talk therapy and medication, if it is prescribed, is the best route to recovery.
Talk therapy is defined as a focus on a client talking about their problems and issues to a licensed professional, according to Harvard Health Publications Web site.
Jennifer Turner, a public information officer for the Office of Suicide Prevention for the California Department of Mental Health, said depression can happen to anyone.
"It is important to understand to ask for help if you have these symptoms," she said. "Help is out there, and people should not self-medicate with other substances such as alcohol or illegal substances.
"The best way to relieve pain is to find someone you trust and talk about it."
Monica Villa, a freshman communication studies major, said this is an issue that is coming to light now but has been around for decades.
"College is a difficult transition compared to a high school system," she said. "College professors treat you like an adult, and many students don't know how to handle this new responsibility."
"I am a first-year student myself, and I learned quickly that you have to rely on yourself to get your work done," Villa said. "Many students don't know how to create a balance between social and academic commitments."
