Ma. Cristina N.

Rafol

Depression among College Students

I.

Understanding Depression
Depression, in its literal term, is the occasional feeling of loneliness
due to some circumstances that a person undergoes. Its a normal reaction
to the setbacks and struggles we face in life. You may feel the blues from
time to time. You might have failed an exam and you feel sad about it. You
miss a friend who left for another country and it feels depressing that you
wont see the person again in a long time. You had a fight with your Mom and
she suddenly stops calling you. These situations make you feel down. Theres
nothing wrong about that. Clinical depression is way beyond that momentary
lonely feeling.
Clinical depression is the more severe form of depression. It is known
as the major depressive disorder that manifests through certain symptoms
that appear for over a two-week period. The causes and symptoms of this
condition will be discussed later.
It is important to clarify that depression is not a disease. It may seem
to be a disease because there are physical effects such as loss of appetite or
feeling of exhaustion. However, it is not because it is not a biological
disorder. Most depression is non-biological, which means it is not caused by
what goes on inside a persons physical body such as chemical imbalance in
the brain and the like. In fact, the increased level of stress hormones is
caused by a persons reaction to stress. Therefore, hormonal imbalance is a
symptom, not a cause of depression. A study shows that people born in 1945
are ten times more likely to get depressed than those who were born earlier.
A simple explanation of this phenomenon is that there has been a huge
change in the society. Some of these are a dispersal of communities, an
increased focus on ones self and material wealth, a breakdown in families,
and more.
Although there are other types of depression, we will focus our
attention on this particular kind that appears to be rampant among students

in the higher education. We will also find out the reasons why such is the
case for college students whatever field they may be.

II.

Why College Students are at Risk

Entering college is leaving your comfort zone. Thats the case for most
students. Its an entrance to maturity where we are left to decide for
ourselves because the familiar people are not there to assist us. Its the
stage in ones life when he gets to see a lot of new things and decide what to
take or refuse so he can form his or her persona.
Courtney Knowles of the JED Foundation considers college life as that
period where students deal with a unique amount of stressors. Since it
marks a significant transition, an individual is faced with many firsts new
friends, roommates, lifestyle, cultures, and alternate ways of thinking. A
person who is transitioning to independence may feel lost in the middle of all
these because his identity may be shaken by the introduction of new set of
values and experiences. He will be faced with situations like deciding
whether to drink alcohol or not, get involved in casual sex, or worse, take
drugs or refuse these things. This dilemma can create a lot of pressure in his
or her mind. If a student is not ready to cope up with this new environment,
she or he is most likely to be overwhelmed and experience anxiety or
depression.
In fact, in a survey conducted in 2006 (2006 National Survey of
Counseling Centers, US), 92% of college directors believe that the increase of
number of students with severe psychological problems is a growing
concern. A team from Columbia University made a study in 2008 about the
incidence of psychiatric disorders among college students and it showed that
up to 50% was affected by the condition. A survey conducted by the Anxiety
Disorders Association of America (ADAA) also showed that in the past 15
years, the number of depressed students in colleges and universities has

doubled, while suicide incidents tripled. Another ADAA report cites a study
made by the National Institute of Mental Health that 75% of individuals
affected by anxiety disorder will experience symptops of depression before
age 22.
Causes and Symptoms
According to the American Psychiatric Association, if you have five or
more of the following symptoms, most of the day, for five days:
1. A depressed mood of being sad and empty
2. Significantly reduced interest or feeling no pleasure in all or most activities
3. Significant weight loss when not dieting, weight gain, or decrease or increase
in appetite (in children, failure to gain weight as expected)
4. Insomnia or increased desire to sleep
5. Either restlessness or slowed behavior that can be observed by others
6. Fatigue or loss of energy
7. Feelings of worthlessness, or excessive or inappropriate guilt
8. Trouble making decisions, or trouble thinking or concentrating
9. Recurrent thoughts of death or suicide, or a suicide attempt
These symptoms must be based on your own feelings and observed by
others. There are different levels of clinical depression and one or the other
may be experienced by individuals of any age. But proper psychological
counselling and/or antidepressant medication can get you through this
condition.
Aggravating Factors

A lot has been said about how to improve a condition of a person with
depression but it is equally important to know the factors that aggravate this
condition. With this knowledge, the road to freedom from depression will be a
lot easier because a person affected and everyone around him or her will
know what to avoid. Deborah Serani, a clinical psychologist who wrote the
book Living with Depression enumerated the factors that may slow down the
improvement process.
a. Stress
Additional stress can lead to a sudden increase in the hormone called
cortisol. This kind of hormone keeps a person in an emergency state, that
leads to irritability in an already fatigued body. For students, there are many
factors that are considered stressors that should be avoided or at least,
lessened. These are peer pressure, voluminous paper works, difficult exams,
and difficulty in time-management to name a few. Peer pressure is a
common problem in schools since students are vulnerable to influences of
different cultures that are strange to them. Without the intervention of
parents or guardians, a student will most likely feel the need to change so he
or she can cope up with his peers. Mismanagement of time is also a reason
for getting stressed. With loads of paper works and a number of subjects to
attend during the course of ones college education, it will be difficult to
balance everything when you lose a sense of discipline.
b. Sleep
Too much or too less sleep can aggravate depression. The key to
having enough and quality sleep is consistency. Therefore, people with
depression who do not sleep or wake up daily on the same time will likely
have a hard time improving their condition. One has to develop a routine of
sleeping and waking up on the same hour every day so that depression will
not worsen. For college students, this is a lot difficult, especially when there
are extracurricular activities to attend to. College students throw parties and
attend non-school-related events more often than anyone else does. Since

they are at the peak of their physical energy, they often feel restless and
excited for more entertaining activities that have nothing to do with
academic matters at all. With these things getting in the way of a students
bedtime, how can one possibly get enough sleep?
c. Food
There have been studies showing the effects of food on our mood, and
eventually on depression. Foods high in glucose and trans unsaturated fatty
acids increase the risk of depression. Too much caffeine and alcohol also
boost blood sugar levels and make a person more irritable. However, you
cannot expect college students to be very conscious about their eating
habits or choice of food. They will most likely choose ones that are easy to
eat canned goods, chips, processed foods, and all those unhealthy snacks
that need no preparation.
d. Toxic People
One of the ways to recover from depression is by reframing your
negative thoughts into positive ones. Being with corrosive and negative
people who are toxic will not be a big help. They do not understand what
people with depression are dealing with and they might just influence the
former with their negative perspective of things. In an environment like that
of college schools, a student will be exposed to diverse cultures, different
attitudes of people with different upbringing, and stressed students who are
pressured by a lot of things, among others. There is no doubt that
somewhere inside the corners of these institutions, there are toxic people
who cannot help but complain on many things.
e. Media
The media may expose persons with depression to horrifying and
disturbing news that will just worsen their condition. Even dramatic films
may stir up emotions that lead to a heightened state of depression to a
person who is already suffering from such condition. With the modern trends
shown by the media today, students feel the need to conform to the new
standards. And if they think they have not met the standards of this new

generation, they consider themselves a failure. Bullying from other students

is not helpful either. Lowered self-esteem and cruel words from other people
are causes of depression for students.
f. Anniversary Reactions
Around the same date of the occurrence of a post-traumatic event, a
person may experience the same symptoms of depression. This anniversary
reaction is common especially when the post-traumatic event is something
that happened on a specific date, like the passing of a loved one or the like.

III.

Addressing Depression
a. How to Avoid Depression before it Begins
Parents play a big role in taking care of the emotional state of their
children. One of the biggest decisions that parents make is selecting a
college for their sons and daughters. One of the tips given by the ADAA is for
the parents to explore right away the options for their children, should they
have a hard time coping up with their chosen school. This is especially
important for students with a history of mental health issues. It will be
helpful for parents to ask college officials if the institution has a counselling
center for students who need to talk to someone when they have anxiety
problems or emotional concerns. Parents should also be available for their
children and attentive to their concerns even while the latter are away for
college. Whenever they call, parents have to pay attention on their
messages and be sensitive if there are tones of anxiety or depression.
Clinical depression, according to experts, is much about how people
interpret reality. People with depression have a depressive thinking style in
explaining what happens to them. In order to avoid depression, ones pattern
of thinking must be towards the positive. Everyone has his or her own share
of discouraging events but there are those whose thinking style does not
lead them to depression. This means that depression will not always result

when things go wrong. Events can trigger depression but they are not the
causes. Instead, how we respond and make sense of these events are the
causes that lead us down that road of depression.
b. How to Recognize Depression
As discussed earlier, there are several symptoms that you can observe
to determine whether a person is showing signs of depression. But here is a
more detailed discussion on the symptoms of depression.
i.

Upsetting dreams and disrupted sleep are signs that one might be suffering
from depression. A normal person will not have difficulty in having
continuous and uninterrupted sleep, but a person suffering from depression
shows signs of difficulty in completing sleep. There are moments in between
sleep when a depressed person wakes up and find it difficult to go back to
slumber because of anxieties and thoughts that bother his or her mind. This
state of emotions may also lead to waking up earlier than you are supposed
to and having a difficulty in getting back to sleep.

ii.

Another sign of depression is the feeling of being exhausted the moment you
wake up. It may be due to interrupted sleep or a tired state of mind. But the
exhaustion upon waking up may be a symptom of depression. It exhibits
tired mind and emotions to the extent that the person does not have the
energy or willingness to move or do any activity. This is often associated by
the loss of appetite to enjoy the things that used to bring entertainment to a
person. For a college student, a loss of motivation or will to play sports or
take part in the activities of his or her organization, among all other things, is
a manifestation of this symptom. There is a decreased enthusiasm in
activities that a person used to engage in for enjoyment.

iii.

A person suffering from depression may also find it difficult to concentrate

because of anxious worrying and intrusive upsetting thoughts. Even when
there is an important matter that requires focus, he or she will have
interrupted attention on that matter. This is a challenge for college students
who need to focus on studies and academic requirements but cannot spend

an hour or more doing school work. A depressed student, although aware of

the consequences of not studying, has a mind that is incapable of absorbing
lectures, books, study materials, and the like.
iv.

One of the most common symptoms of depression is getting upset even

without a particular reason. A depressed person feels empty and emotional
even when there is no problem. It may also be accompanied by irritability
and shortness of temper. There is a cause for alarm when this happens often.
These signs show a disturbed condition of ones mind and emotions. It was
discussed earlier that stressors aggravate depression but this symptom
exhibits sadness even when there is no stressor or the situation is not
depressing.

v.

When a student isolates himself or herself from peers so often, you need to
give attention on that student since he or she may be suffering from
depression. Those with social skills problems and signs of defiance are likely
to be depressed. This may be associated with hypersensitivity or irritability
either because they easily get hurt or angry without sufficient reason or they
just cannot stand being with their peers. These are manifested by being
argumentative or being defiant with authority figures.
Medical experts say that clinical depression can be diagnosed if
symptoms cannot be attributed to bereavement. Since these signs of
depression may commonly appear on normal individuals, it is important to
note that these signs are normal reactions when a person has lost a loved
one, has recently got into a break up, or has failed a crucial examination. But
these reactions are not normal with people who have not undergone this
type of problems or they have been feeling this way for a very long time
after the occurrence of the mentioned events and the like.
c. Dealing with Students, Peers and Family Members with Depression
After getting ourselves familiar with the characteristics and
manifestations of depression, it is now time we learn to help those who are

under this condition. College professors, peers, and relatives of a person play
a huge part in improving the condition of individuals with depression.
Although the recommended cure for depression is taking of anti-depressants
and other medications, we will not focus on that topic, but on how to deal
with the people we care about who are suffering from depression. While
there are all kinds of therapies that are available, you can find information
about these on loads of other materials.
For colleges, there must be a home-school communication where
professors let the students parents know about the interaction and mood of
the student, and the activities he or she has been engaging in school. This
way, the school and the students family will have an idea of the formers
condition and what steps are need to be taken. It will also be helpful if the
professors give positive remarks, as well as academic, behavioral and social
performance, among others. Teach the student problem-solving skills,
organization techniques, and goal-setting practices that will help him or her
decrease stress levels that aggravate the condition. It is also helpful if the
student is given opportunities to engage in social interaction.
Another tool of addressing college student depression is by
developing on-campus counselling centers that are created to help students
who are suffering from depression and anxiety. Most people, especially in the
Philippine setting, are not comfortable with the idea of seeking medical help
for their mental health or emotional condition. Counselling centers that are
student-friendly and accessible for students will be a great help.
If you have a peer or family member who is suffering from this
condition, the best and primary help you can give him or her is
encouragement to seek professional assistance. This may decrease your
friend or loved ones reluctance in getting the appropriate treatment.
Whenever he or she exhibits signs of the condition, be ready to give a
helping hand or lend an ear to what he or she feels. Offer emotional support
that

involves

genuine

affection,

understanding,

patience,

and

encouragement. Make an effort to invite the person in activities and events

that give him or her social interaction and entertainment. Most importantly,

remind the depressed person that things will get better and that he or she
will be better.
d. Self-Help Guide on Depression
Clinical depression specialists say that one of the keys to
overcoming depression is knowing your condition fully well and discovering
your personal limits. One must also monitor his or her expectations,
stressors, and sudden energy changes. We have discussed that lifestyle is a
big factor that contributes to depression so it is best to get enough sleep, eat
healthy foods, and avoid excessive drinking and caffeine. Here are some of
i.

the specific tips on helping yourself overcome depression:

Avoid chewing on emotional thoughts in your head.
When you are exhausted, put off the big decisions and focus on
getting your energy back. There may be issues that need resolution but it
will not help you improve your condition if you keep on thinking about a
certain problem and figuring out a decision to act. This will only lead you to
more depressive thoughts and will actually exhaust the remaining energy in
your mind and body. Instead, read something positive and occupy your mind
with beautiful thoughts that will give you relaxation. If you are strong
enough, work is a good diversion. The key here is to get yourself occupied
that you will not have time for too much thinking.

ii.

Get exercise if possible

This is the healthy way of getting rid of causes of depression.
Apart from all the other fitness benefits of exercising, this activity that entails
physical exertion will temporarily lift your depression. Exercise also helps
remove toxins in your system by sweating, so it will result to an improvement
on your mood.

iii.

Find relaxation
Along with enough sleep and improved physical health condition,
relaxation will help you address depression better. You must learn how to
lower your anxiety levels and emotions by not thinking of disturbing

thoughts. When these things cross your mind, learn to block them and shift
your focus on something else. You must also learn to lower your anger and
panic attacks and stop them whenever they happen.
There are available therapies for relaxation that will help you
fight depression. Some of which are self-hypnosis and Tai Chi disciplines that
help you deeply relax and immerse into a peaceful state of mind.
iv.

Go back to doing what you love

People who are undergoing depression tend to lose
enthusiasm on the activities that used to entertain them and keep them
happy. It may be a type of sports you play for your collegiate team, a social
cause youve been involved with, or an organization you used to be active
with. It does not necessarily involve interaction with other people, although it
highly recommended. But if you are not comfortable meeting others, you
may go back to the art form you were interested with photography,
painting, writing, and more. Whatever it is that used to give color and
entertainment to your life, go back to it and pursue it. You may find the same
enthusiasm you lost when you started to get depressed.

v.

Establish a regular sleep pattern.

Do your best to set a particular time of the day to wake up and
sleep. It was discussed earlier that an irregular sleeping pattern aggravates
depression. Now, a great start and a vital component of your efforts to
recover from depression is to get quality rest. You need to revive your energy
and mental health, and those things will not be possible without getting a
good rest. If your body is tired, your mind will most likely malfunction. You
will not be able to think properly. When it comes to quantity, the best period
for sleeping is 8-9 hours.

vi.

Make sure your life is attuned with the Basic Needs Checklist
This checklist is an enumeration of the basic needs that cannot
be impaired so a person can function well. Regularly go back to this list, find
out what you lack, and do something about it. These are just some items of
the basic needs checklist:

a. The need to give and receive attention

As social animals, we need social interaction to satisfy our need
for attention. We must give and receive attention from other people. Without
this interaction, our mental health will suffer.
b. Sense of safety and Security
There must be a security in a persons mind that he will not lose
his job, his loved ones, properties, and family, among the other things dear
to him or her. It is impossible to properly attend to your other needs if you
always worry about losing something.
c. The need for creativity and challenge
A persons mind has the need for an external source to which his
creativity will be applied. Without an external source, he or she may create
unwanted scenarios that will just result to anxiety and a depressed mood.
There is an innate need to create and absorb information. Thus, a person
must use his or her skills in a focused way, stretch it, so he can achieve a
healthy mind.
d. The need for goals, purpose, and meaning
It is fulfilling and helpful to our mental health to focus on a
specific cause or goal that gives us a sense of a worthwhile future. These
goals are associated with the values and beliefs that a person holds, which
he or she can stand up for even as against other people.
A person suffering from this condition may often think that the
only goal is to get rid of depression. But this should not be the case for it will
allow him or her to focus more on the condition. It is better to have different
goals with a cause.

IV.

Cases and Testimonials

Beckys Sudden Loss

Becky is a college student whose Mom got into a car accident.

Her Moms death took a toll on her emotions and mental health. She was
attending school in an area far from home so during the whole term, she felt
separated from her Dad and siblings and became more depressed. Since she
was a secretive person who is not open about her feelings and thoughts, she
felt more and more alone. Her friends did not know what to say to her so she
got isolated from them. She lost appetite for school, work, and relationships,
among all other things that she used to enjoy. Even her long-time boyfriend
who chose to deal with it like nothings changed, felt like a stranger to her
that she did not want to talk to him. She also dreaded the idea of Christmas.
As the season drew closer, she felt lonelier because she could not take the
pain of spending Christmas eve without her Mom. While feeling alone,
suicidal thoughts filled her head. Nobody was there for her, thats what she
thought. So she would always fantasize about dying. She thought thats the
only escape from the pain she was feeling. She would imagine crossing a
busy street after school and getting hit by a bus. She would even obsess with
the idea of falling off from a tall building with her head hitting the ground
first. Whats strange about all these is that what Becky longed for was to feel
the unbearable pain of suicide. She wanted to experience it so at least, for a
fraction of a second, her emotional pain would be taken over by that strong
physical pain. What added up to the pressure in her head was feeling a sense
of guilt for her Moms passing. Unreasonably, she thought she contributed to
her loss even when the cause was a random car accident.
The Rescue
Gladly, Becky did not get her death wish. She started sharing her
feelings and thoughts with a personal tutor. A friend of her Mom also entered
the picture and shared with her his personal experience of depression. Little
by little, Becky got encouraged by these people who all told her that things
would get better. It was very helpful that she shared her guilt feeling so
people around her could convince her that she has nothing to do with the car

accident. Although her depression was not completely gone until after two
years, the help from other people contributed to her improvement. She also
resorted to writing down her emotions through an online diary that got her
involved in a community of people with the same experiences. Her writing
gave form to all the depressive thoughts in her head that she did not need to
cling to them too hard. Becky testified that overcoming depression is a long
process. After winning that battle, she now advises others with the same
condition that they need a support system a network of people who will
listen to them, be patient with them, and guide them to the light. And this
rescue will only be possible if a depressed person starts to open up.
Tonyas Dark Past that Led Her to Welcoming Jesus
Tonya had a single Mom and she ended up being a single Mom too.
In between these two events, her life was a complete struggle of finding selfworth and a sense of completeness. During her early childhood, Tonya felt
she had no voice. Her Mom was always away for work and when she gets
home, she doesnt have time to listen to Tonya. Every time Tonya tries to
speak up about her emotions, she would always be beaten or shouted at.
This went on until she became a teenager. She was abused but she was
accused by her own Mom of lying. She wanted to leave a miserable place
with her Mom but they had no choice because they had no money. Tonyas
only resort was taking marijuana and cracked cocaine. She was a regular
attendee of parties during her teenage years. She also got involved in a lot
of petty crimes. She was in and out of care but she ended up being thrown
out of the institution for her bad behavior. Years passed and she got into a
relationship thinking this is the great escape from all her problems. Sadly,
her life became more complicated with a dominant guy who would hurt her
physically and treat her like a rug. She had a son with this guy and after his
birth, it seemed like the dark days are over. Tonyas son was filled with
happiness and positivity. But her bad relationship robbed her of these happy
days. She continually experienced domestic violence and abuse. Good thing

she landed a job and got more social interactions with friends who
encouraged her to finally leave the relationship and fight for the custody of
her child. Finally, she learned to speak up during courtroom hearings. She
won the custody of her child but she was also left alone with all the financial
responsibilities. Later on she got into a huge debt, felt worthless at her
workplace, and started taking marijuana again. There had been a cycle of
self-destruction at Tonyas life, because she got into another relationship with
a man who had the same depressive mental condition and would always
attempt suicide. She got pregnant with him, but she had a termination. Her
lowered self-esteem was an additional stressor to Tonya. She had always felt
little at work because she didnt graduate from school and she felt that
nobody would understand her situation.
Turning Point
Tonyas lowest point was when she left her mentally ill boyfriend
and transferred to a new location where she squatted for a year. The
community was even worse. Her depression continued to get the better of
her that there were days when she would lay in bed and just take drugs to
forget about the feeling of emptiness. She was grieving for the termination.
She lost friends because of her negativity and she screwed up with
everything she did. One day, all her life flashed before her and she finally
decided that she wanted none of this anymore. Thats the time when she
accepted Jesus Christ. She had learned about Christianity and started to
consider it as true. Tonya found a new faith and discovered that the big part
of her problem is the massive void that needed filling. From that time on, she
started to help herself by praying to release her thoughts and emotions,
reaching out to people who can and are willing to help her, reading books
about overcoming her condition, and all the other helpful activities she could
engage in. She recalled all her childhood emotional issues and dealt with
them so she could move on. Another thing that helped her most is that she
stopped taking drugs.

Although there are still episodes of depression in her life, Tonya is a

lot better now. She paid all her debts and is now teaching her son about
remaining positive in life. She became more attentive to her emotions and
physical health, and she learned to balance things. She now knows how to
choose her battles, set her priorities, and rest when her mind and body are
tired. With her improvement, she now helps out people who undergo
depression by telling them that they should stop taking drugs or marijuana
because these are all passes to death. Her journey is not yet over but Tonya
is doing things right this time.