Almost one-third of all college students suffer from debilitating depression, according to experts.
In fact, 30 percent of college students have expressed being so depressed that they couldn’t func- tion, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.
And too many of these students are not seeking help.
“It’s the silent epidemic,” said Erik Carlton, assistant professor in the School of Public Health Division of Health Systems Management and Policy.
Experts say students don’t get help for many reasons. They may think their symptoms are nor- mal, they’re not sure where to go for help or they worry about being judged.
Depression skews the way people see themselves. It also causes people to withdraw from others so they stop doing things they enjoy, Carlton said.
Students compare GPA to their peers’ and put pressure on themselves to make good grades.
“I think college students who need help with depression should not define themselves by their grades,” Carlton said.
Society should learn to see depression like a broken leg, and college students should reach out to friends, family members, and counseling services, Carlton said.
Carol Rambo, an associate professor of sociology, agrees.
“Depression is natural, Rambo said, but our society medicates and stigmatizes it.”
Industrialized societies value a fast pace and efficiency over the well-being of their individual members, she said.
“Depression gets put off the side of society so that the rest of the world can go on functioning without the interference,” Rambo said
If something is on your mind all the time and bothering you it’s a problem, he said.
“You should come down”, said Maichrowicz. “Let’s talk about it.”
The counseling center is located on the second floor of Wilder Tower and open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 8 am to 4:30 pm on Friday. And walk in appointments are from 10am to 2pm.
