Depression and anxiety

Depression and Anxiety are prevalent among College students. The typical age of onset for many mental health conditions is between 18 to 24 years old. 

According to Jerald Kay, M.D., Professor and Chair of the Department Psychiatry at the Wright State University School of Medicine, In the past 15 years, depression has doubled and suicide tripled. A survey from the Anxiety Disorders Association of America (ADAA) suggested that universities and colleges also have seen an increase in students seeking services for anxiety disorders. There are various contributing factors during college that explain these statistics. “students deal with a unique amount of stressors. They experience many firsts, including new lifestyle, friends, roommates, exposure to new cultures and alternate ways of thinking.” said Courtney Knowles, executive director of The JED Foundation. Students struggle when they can’t manage these firsts. “If students do not feel adequate or prepared to cope with the new environment of a college campus, they could easily become susceptible to depression and anxiety,” said Harrison Davis, Ph.D. 

Identity is also influenced, students often feel disoriented and feel a loss of their sense of self, contributing to symptoms of depression and anxiety, because the familiar people they grew up knowing are no longer there to reinforce the identity these students have created for themselves. This loss of sense of self and lack of confidence can lead students to make poor choices especially with alcohol and drugs.  According to The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, 45 percent of college students binge drink and nearly 21 percent abuse prescription or illegal drugs.  The most significant barrier preventing a student from seeking help is stigma that comes with depression and anxiety. According to a 2006 study, students cited embarrassment as the number one reason someone wouldn’t seek help. Depression shouldn’t be treated as something that isn’t as important as a physical illness. Mental illnesses can eventually lead to physical illnesses which is why people should get treated early. The first step is realizing you have a problem.

Source:
Tartakovsky, M. (2008). Depression and Anxiety Among College Students. Psych Central. Retrieved on October 20, 2014, from http://psychcentral.com/lib/depression-and-anxiety-among-college-students/0001425
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