Depression
The Blues vs. Depression in College Students
College offers new experiences and challenges which can be exciting but it can also be stressful and make students feel sad. But when the blues last for weeks, or interfere with academic or social functioning, it may be clinical depression.
NCHA Data and Depression: According to the 2006 NCHA (National College Health Assessment), University of Utah students are widely affected by depression. Thirty-five percent of women reported that they suffer from depression and 48.7% of those reported to have suffered academically as a result. In men who participated in the survey, 26.8% of them suffered from depression and 50.4% of them suffered academically.
What is Clinical Depression?
Clinical depression is associated with significant and durable symptoms often requiring medical intervention. The symptoms tend to be debilitating and can be life threatening. The warning signs of common depression are experienced in the extreme. Clinical depression can affect your body, mood, thoughts, and behavior. It can change your eating habits, how you feel and think about things, your ability to work and study, and how you interact with people.
It is NOT: a passing mood, a sign of personal weakness or a condition that can be willed away. Depressed people CANNOT: “pull themselves together” and get better. The good news is that depression can be successfully treated by a mental health professional or certain health care providers.
