Stress, Depression Plague Collegiates

College students are feeling the pressure, and they’re not just worrying about grades. Money and relationships are creating as much stress and depression on college campuses as schoolwork, according to a recent Associated Press-mtvU poll of college students on 40 campuses. Of the collegiates polled, 85% reported daily feelings of stress, the Associated Press reported. In addition, 42% said they had felt depressed or hopeless within the past two weeks, 13% showed signs of mild depression, and 11% said they’d had suicidal thoughts.

While 74% of the students were stressed about grades, concern over financial matters ran a close second, worrying 67% of the survey group. Half of the students (52%) were stressed about the economy, many saying that financial problems brought about by the recession could impact their ability to register for fall classes. Fifty-four percent of the students surveyed were stressed about family issues, and nearly half (47%) were worried about finding a job after graduation. Across the board, collegiates felt they were under more stress this year than last year. In all categories, collegiates surveyed in 2009 expressed a 3% to 6% increase in stress levels over their 2008 peers.

Students experiencing high levels of stress said they lacked energy, were having trouble sleeping and/or felt hopeless; but few  said they had sought professional help. At the University of Maryland in College Park, two student suicides within two weeks shocked students last semester, but didn’t seem to change students’ views about seeking help.

“It was pretty scary,” admitted UM junior Aimee Mayer, a psychology major. While she said the university provides students with plenty of information and help with mental disorders, Mayer told the Associated Press, “there’s still a stigma associated with mental health issues and so a lot of people don’t want to go to those services. They feel like they’re less cool or something like that it they go. It’s like a sign of vulnerability.”

That’s an unfortunate attitude because depression can be successfully treated using a combination of cognitive-behavioral therapy, psychodynamic therapy and sometimes medications. When given the opportunity to intervene, psychiatrists can also identify potential suicide victims and help them before they act. Many mental health disorders begin early in life, so it is not unusual for symptoms to emerge under the stress of college life. Parents should talk to their children regularly to gauge their mental health.