"One in three Terps will feel too depressed to function," according to suicide prevention flyers posted throughout campus by the University Health Center. In other words, out of approximately 27,000 undergrads enrolled at UMD this year, depression will impact nearly 9,000 students in total.
Depression is not just a condition, it is a mental health illness that impairs the success of over 30 percent of college students, specifically those attending the University of Maryland, College Park.
When asked about the differences of depression rates between grade levels, the Counseling Center's Associate Director David Petersen shared that fourth-year students made the most frequent visits for counselling services in the last academic year.
As academic standards become more rigorous and demanding, students are found to experience higher levels of stress as rates of depression may become more severe. Although the reasons for an increase of visits by seniors compared to freshman are unclear, some studies suggest that negative stigmas associated with mental illnesses may provide a possible explanation.
In an article focusing on depression stigma attitudes, researchers Schwenk, Davis and Wimsatt found that first-and-second-year students felt less inclined to receive medical attention due to the belief that "seeking help for depression would make them feel less intelligent."
High academic demands may cause higher stress levels among students in competitive academic fields
In addition to the increased levels of stress experienced over time, competition for academic success was also a prominent factor that contributed to states of depression within young adults.
The pressure to receive good grades were partly due to the high expectations instilled within parents, according to a College Quarterly report released in 2013. Alicia Flatt, a researcher studying the mental health crisis, stated that in recent years "academic stress has been heightened by high grade expectations, the gap between academic expectations and reality, and the millennial generation’s inability to cope with failure.”
New academic challenges within today's generation of UMD students may be greater than in previous years. Moreover, some parents may not understand the extent of the struggles endured by millennials suggests Carl Lejuez, UMD Professor and Director of Clinical Training in the Clinical Psychology Program.
"Students constantly feel the need to prepare themselves in order to meet the needs of the job market," reveals Flatt. This pressure leads to an increased level of academic competition, as undergrads feel they must "outperform each other" to guarantee academic success or a future career.
Professor Lejuez's expert opinion is congruent to the findings of Flatt. In her research, Flatt discusses further studies conducted by Guo, Wang, Johnson and Diaz in the College Student Journal published in 2011, indicating that academic demands posed within competitive economic environments may also be responsible for elevated stress levels in higher education.
Although many students admit to experiencing depression throughout their college years, less than 20 percent are said to receive treatment
Despite the grueling stresses of competitive environments, students are reluctant to seek help. Although no data was found specific to the University of Maryland, many accounts suggest that depression is "chronically under-treated" in the population at large.
A substantial number of students admit to experiencing depression throughout their college career but less than one-third were found to seek professional consultation, reported Oswalt and Finkelberg in a study of depressed students within the Counseling and Clinical Psychology Journal.
Out of 182 undergraduate participants attending Appalachian State University, 22 students that were evaulated reached clinical levels of depression; where only six received treatment, and of those six only one received a combination of medication and psychotherapy.Psychotherapy is an interactive process between a patient and a qualified mental health professional in which individuals meet with a psychiatrist or psychologist to discuss their issues. The evidence provided in the study at ASU further underlines the notion that in many cases, elevated levels of depression go unreported and untreated throughout college campuses.
Instead of seeking professional help as recommended, the use of drugs and alcohol were found to be common methods of coping within students enrolled in four-year institutions. Moreover, students who are depressed are more likely to engage in behaviors that further comprises their health.
In a publication addressing depression and alcohol drug use in U.S. colleges, researcher Virginia Ross states that psychological and emotional problems are worsened by the use of drugs and alcohol which increases the likelihood of high-risk behaviors, including suicide.
She found that roughly 16 percent of women and nine percent of men were reported to be diagnosed with depression at the time of the study. Results on the prevalence of substance use revealed on multiple platforms that alcohol was the substance with the highest rate of use, which is consistent with the national pattern.
