Depression: The undergraduate Experience Killer

Abstract Aim of study Results

In this project, I investigated the connection between depression 1. Investigate the socio-economic correlation depression
and its effects on undergraduate college students. Through
academic journals and an interview with a psychology professor,
I discovered that there is a connection between depression and
undergraduate students. Stemming from the “Diathesis-stress
model,” which is comprised of socio-economic issues as well as 2. Link the “Diathesis-stress model”, a model known for
stress from depression, many undergraduate students who have
depression tend to develop other symptoms of mental health
issues as they grow older.
Background info
In the United States, depression is one of the most common
mental health disorders (National Institute of Mental Health,
2018) and is the leading cause of disability in individuals
ranging from ages 15 to 44 and affects 6.7% (16.1 million) of the
U.S. population aged 18 and older (Anxiety and Depression
Association of America). Combining a multitude of different
symptoms, depression degrades how individuals think and
execute daily activities. It is often caused by a combination of
genetic, biological, environmental, and psychological factors
(National Institute of Mental Health, 2018). While prevalent in
different age groups, depression affects college students aged 18-
25 more so than any other age group. According to a data graph
posted by the National Institute of Mental Health, adults aged
18-25 have a higher tendency to want to inflict self-harm or
suicide due to depression.
When looking at the data, individuals aged 18-25 have the
highest percentage of suicidal thoughts amongst the U.S. adult
demographic. The data shows that 8.8% of the individuals have
responded that they have had serious thought of suicide, while
adults aged 26-49 are only 4.2%, and adults aged 50+, 2.4%
(National Institute of Mental health, 2018). There has been
intensive research done on this topic regarding the overall factors
that contribute to depression as a whole. Things such as social
media, anxiety, and stress have all been researched and brought
to the conclusion that they have a connection with depression,
and with this, I did my research on a topic that was not as heavily
focused on by researchers; the socio-economic problems
undergraduate students face and its connection with depression.
Conclusion
has with undergraduate college students, essentially
researching how specific factors that come into play
during college can affect an individual’s well-being and
how that can lead to depression.
showcasing the linkage between stress and other
biological/environmental factors to the cause of
depression.
Methodology
Primary research comes in the form of an interview with
Priscilla San Souci; a Psychology professor from UC Davis.
I believe that she was the best person to interview as
depression is a mental disease, and psychology is the study
of the mental mind. While she teaches a more broad
definition of psychology, and does not focus primarily on
mental diseases that other psychology professors focus on in
their class, she is an advocate for fixing the mental
healthcare system in universities, and I found that as a
perfect fit for this research project.
In the interview, I asked her a set of 15 questions and
recorded her answers down onto a google document. Most
of the questions asked during the interview were more open-
ended and broad, but the ones I focused on are the ones that
bring her understanding of the human mind onto the
correlation between depression and college students. Of the
15 questions I asked, the ones I focused on are as follows:
1. What do you believe are the main factors for depression
amongst undergraduate college students?
2. What is the root cause of depression, how does it form?
3. Why is there not as big of an emphasis in UC system’s
regarding the treatment of undergraduate students with
depression and mental diseases?
After conducting research with Priscilla San Souci, I was
able to get a lot of research done on the connection
between the socio-economic problems undergraduate
students face and depression. The key ideas for the
research are as follows:
1. Most college students who come into their first year
have no outside knowledge regarding living alone. The
newfound responsibilities they have received, as well
as no parental guidance can stockpile a plethora of
stress and anxiety.
2. Students are faced with inefficient academic
resourcing. Many new students do not have the socio-
economic awareness needed because in high school,
they were not exposed to having the responsibility to
pay for their academic resources. With a swelling
financial burden, mental problems can arise from
accumulating stress.
3. Diathesis-Stress model
4. The model explains how both depression or any mental illness
is formed. An individual must have a pre-existing condition
occur for mental health issues to form. The stress that
accumulates while in college is what causes depression to form,
not the pre-existing factors. The higher the stress, the higher the
probability of getting a mental disease such as depression.
5. Humans have two ways of responding to stimuli; through
prefrontal cortex (where critical thinking happens) and the
limbic systems (emotional response). Our prefrontal cortex
does not fully develop until late 20s, therefore, most of our
responses come from the limbic system which can be
detrimental as it is not based off logical thinking, but
emotional response to a situation.
6. UC schools lack the necessary knowledge to treat individuals
who face depression or mental health issues. A lot of funding
goes towards academics instead of prioritizing the money on
healthcare system.
Citations
Suicide. (2018, May). Retrieved October 31, 2018, from
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/suicide.shtml

From the acquired research, one can safely conclude that there is a noticeable relationship between depression N. (2018, February). Depression. Retrieved November 1,
and college students on a socio-economic level. Some of these problems include the stress and anxiety students 2018, from
accumulate through new life experiences while in college, the lack of funding for healthcare programs, and many https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/depression/index.s
other things. One big limitation of this project was my researchee. While she had a lot of knowledge regarding html
depression, it was more so based on a broad level of understanding instead of a focused, conceptualized level I
Suicide. (2018, May). Retrieved October 31, 2018, from
was hoping to get. For further research, I want to find more information regarding how the limbic and prefrontal
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/suicide.shtml
regions of the brain can affect a student, and how they both connect more so to the diathesis-stress model.