“Going to college is an exciting time in the lives of young people, but for some students depression gets in the way. Whether it’s their first brush with the disorder or not, college can act as a catalyst for the onset of depression in many young people, and, on their own for the first time, the timing couldn’t be worse” – childmind.org
Depression in college students is a topic that is not often talked about but is common for first semester college students. Most of the time, first semester students have a hard time adjusting to a new environment; picking up a heavy work load, being away from home, and have to make new friends. Parents can often worry and try to get involved, but that’s not always easy when a child is potentially living three to four hours away from home. If you have a student that is distancing themselves from the outside world, letting go of their hobbies and ambitions, and acting out of character for more than two weeks it is possible that your college student could be facing depression.
Depression is not always an easy topic to discuss, and most people only think an individual is depressed when they are sad. That is not the case, depression comes in many forms. For some students, it could be that he or she is more irritable, lashes out, and pushes away their support systems (friends, family, significant others). Other students could be indulging in binge drinking or substance abuse to try to “forget about their problems” or “make their problems go away”. It is important to notice the signs and act quickly. Encourage your student to seek on campus help or seek help in their area.
If you are worried about your college student and feel that they are facing depression and do not want to acknowledge it themselves, Exult Healthcare has services that can benefit you. Depression is usually treated with medications, psychotherapy, or a combination of the two. If these treatments do not reduce symptoms, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and other brain stimulation therapies
may be options to explore. However, each case of depression is unique and is treated accordingly. There is never a “one-size-fits-all” for treatments here. Please check out our treatments tab and find out more about how Exult Healthcare can benefit you today.
Written By: Lauren Thompson, Exult Healthcare
