Depression Among College Students
Depression causes people all across the world to have feelings of sadness, helplessness, worthlessness, and guilt. Some surveys have shown that as many as twenty people in a hundred suffer from depression at one time, and approximately 25 percent of the population may suffer from significant depression in the course of a lifetime ("Depression," 1993). Depression is caused for many reasons, and it affects people in all classes of life. Women seem to have higher occurrences of depression than men. However, some professionals believe it is due to an under-diagnosis in men rather than a biological reason (Breton, 1996). Depression, once believed to affect mainly adults, is now becoming more prevalent in younger populations including college students. Depression among college students may be triggered from reasons including the student's environment, anxiety, and fear of failure. The college environment is probably a new experience for most students. Students find that they have more freedom than in the previous years of high school, but they also find that their friends and family are no longer with them to help with decision-making and problem solving. For many students, this may not be an issue. Some students qu
best efforts, his grades may still not meet his expectations. The student may develop a fear that because his grades are not good enough in his mind, his grades will not meet the expectations of his parents. He may feel that his parents will become angry and accuse him of ingratitude after the sacrifices they have made. Some students may become rebellious and drop out of school. As Breton explains, in the worst cases, students may become consumed with anger, guilt, and hopelessness because they feel they cannot achieve what is expected of them. These students may eventually turn to suicide because they do not see another answer (1996). A fear of failure can also lead to depression. As mentioned, success in high school is difficult to duplicate for college. It is possible for a student to realize this before college. This student may develop a fear of not performing up to the potential he has set for himself or that he feels others may believe he should achieve. Parents, who for various reasons were unable to attend college, may encourage their children to do so and in a way fulfill the dreams and goals the parents were never able to achieve. This encouragement, although good in most cases, can have negative effects on the children. The student whose academics suffer in the transition from high school to college may feel an added pressure to do well if expectations from his parents exist. Perhaps the college expenses are being paid through extensive loans or extra employment taken by the parents. The student understands the sacrifices his parents are making so that he may succeed, but despite his! Stress, for most, plays a critical role in college. Classes
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Approximate Word count = 1142
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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