Contrary to what many may perceive as innocuous feelings of sadness, depression is a serious psychological disease that affects countless numbers of people each year. Unfortunately, many are unaware of the basis of depression.
Collegians everywhere can relate to the stress that accompanies the “college experience.” However, the extreme importance placed upon this experience is potentially dangerous. This is where depression may come into play; when the emphasis on academic and social success becomes unrealistic, students are at risk.
According to Professor Joseph Morrissey, an instructor of psychology, depression is rooted in the “circumstance of feeling that you can’t do those things necessary to get what you need or want.”
Morrissey noted that, in some cases, the relative success of one’s college life is “so central to their self-concept…that their whole construct in life potentially may be damaging.”
This overwhelming sensation can be especially prevalent among those students who are experiencing life away from home for extended periods of time.
Dr. Elizabeth Droz, director of the University Counseling Center, credits being away from the home environment as a common factor in depression among students.
“Many students don’t know that they need five hours of sleep,” said Droz, who has been the Counseling Center’s director for eight years. “They also don’t know how to eat well. So when students talk about being upset and going home, what are the first things they do? Eat and sleep. And they feel better.”
Unfortunately, said Droz, depression is usually more complex than the lack of a good meal and familiar bed. Many times, students are “depressed about their social life.” They are subject to “social pressures which they cannot ignore.”
Although the dreariness of Binghamton and its surrounding area is frequently joked about, the weather may also have a larger effect on emotional health than might be thought. Seasonal Affective Disorder, ironically abbreviated as SAD, is a mood disorder associated with depression episodes and related to seasonal variations of light. Symptoms of depression which occur during the winter months and subside during the spring and summer months may be a sign of this disease.
As part of the national campaign to shed light on depression among college students, the University participated in National Depression Screening Day earlier this month by offering a free mood screening to students in the New University Union. The annual event, now in its second year at BU, was sponsored by the University Counseling Center in conjunction with High Hopes, the student-run crisis phone line, and University Health Services.
Although the rate of depression among college students is lower than that of the general population, most psychological problems show themselves between the ages of 18 and 25. The main goal of the mood-screening day was to educate students about this, as well as the ways the University and the Counseling Center can assist students in need, said Droz.
“[The mood screenings] were a way to put our services out there in a public arena. We want students to know that we’re more than just a door outside the library,” Droz said. “We wanted to show students that counseling isn’t scary…[the screenings] were anonymous, and we had all professional counselors.”
Indeed, despite the seemingly public setting, many students took advantage of the five minute mood screenings. According to Droz, 154 students took time out of their schedules to answer a short survey about their recent emotional status.
Droz characterizes the mood screening event as a proactive system significantly effective in educating students, as well as identifying those who exhibit signs of depression.
But how can a concerned student tell the difference between feeling sad and suffering from depression?
“[The] philosophy is to look at the ways people describe their problem and the way it interferes with their life… You have to be good at talking to someone about what is going on in their life,” Droz said.
Although the student’s decision to confront depression and get counseling is ultimately “really up to them,” Droz stressed the positive influence the University offers.
“There is an incredible availability of support here that you wouldn’t have otherwise. A lot of professors and coaches are very good at taking note of situations. We get more referrals from friends and parents than anyone else; I get e-mails all the time.”
“Students should look after their roommates and friends,” agreed Morrissey. “Depression is one of the most treatable illnesses.”