As finals week looms nearer, assignments keep piling up and scholarship deadlines grow close, college students are getting depressed, but many of them aren’t getting treated for it.
Fewer than one in four college students with symptoms of serious depression receives adequate treatment, according to a recent study done by the School of Public Health at the University of Michigan.
The results of the study, which surveyed about 8,500 students from 15 colleges and universities, found that only 22 percent of students who reported symptoms of serious depression in the past year received minimally adequate care, and 13 percent of students who reported signs of depression had no contact with a health care professional about the problem.
Andrea Comer, a senior studying political science, said she wasn’t surprised about the results of the study.
“I feel like depression is a taboo subject, and people don’t want to talk about it or get help for it if they need it,” she said.
Justin Weeks, director of the Center for Evaluation and Treatment of Anxiety and an assistant professor of psychology at OU, said many individuals with depression might not seek out help for their depression.
“Depression is facilitated with a lack of motivation, and when a person is depressed, they have a negative, biased outlook on life and think that things will not change or get worse,” Weeks said.
According to the study, among students with depressive symptoms and thoughts of suicide, only 34 percent received minimally adequate care.
Students at OU suffering from depression can go to Counseling and Psychological Services at Campus Care, the Psychology and Social Work Clinic in Porter Hall, or O’Bleness Memorial Hospital to seek help and support for their depression.
“I think that help should be available to students,” Comer said. “In regard to OU, help isn’t advertised enough, and I think that, during finals week especially, they should advertise the services which they offer to students.”
Debbie Thurneck, a licensed psychologist and director of the Psychology and Social Work Clinic, said the hurdle to get past is for students to take advantage of the services available to them.
“It is important to let students know about the services and get the word out about them, and it is a good thing to seek help when you need it,” Thurneck said.
Depression is highly treatable, Weeks said.
“Research supports psychotherapy in the treatment of depression,” Weeks said. “Three out of four patients who go through psychotherapy are likely to benefit and feel as though their symptoms of depression have reduced significantly.”
bc822010@ohiou.edu
