Students' struggle with sadness

Tomorrow is National Depression Screening Day.  October 10 is World Mental Health Day.

By Kimberlina Rocha
The Collegian

Melina Hernandez sits in the reception area in the counseling section at the University Health and Psychological Services waiting for her afternoon appointment.

The windowless area of the counseling section masks any traces of the sunlight from outside.

Hernandez (not her real name), a 23-year-old senior, picks up a magazine and flips through it patiently while she waits.

“I always considered myself a little bit depressed,” Hernandez said, “but not to the extreme that I’m at now.”

Depression has been a daily battle for Hernandez ever since Oct. 25, 2004. That was the day her boyfriend committed suicide.

“That’s when I hit rock bottom,” she said.

Hernandez is one of 20 million American adults who suffer from depression annually.

Nearly half of all college students report feeling so depressed at some point in their lives that they have trouble functioning, according to a 2004 survey by the American College Health Association.

Depression may include persistent symptoms of sadness, anxiety, irritability and worthlessness. A person may lose interest in activities that were once enjoyed. There may be trouble with getting sleep and there also may be recurrent thoughts of death or suicide.

In the same survey, the percentage of college students who reported having ever been diagnosed with depression has increased from 10.3 percent to 14.9 percent in a four-year period.

Students know first-hand how stressful college life can be. The tests, research papers and the challenge of balancing school, work and family obligations can sometimes be too overwhelming. The mounting pressure and stress could lead to clinical depression or suicidal thoughts.

No one is exactly sure why the number of college students with depression is on the rise.

Scott Ahles, a psychiatrist at the Fresno State Health Center, said students may have a hard time adjusting to a new environment away from their family and that college work may be at a higher level than what they’re used to.

“There’s a lot of pressure on a lot of people to do well,” Ahles said. “College is more competitive than what it use to be.”

Hermila Zarate, a senior majoring in liberal studies, said she often feels stressed by being a full-time student with 19 units and having to work a part-time job.

“I get really anxious or nervous whenever I fall behind on my schoolwork,” Zarate said. “I try to keep ahead of deadlines so I could avoid feeling that way.”

People ages 18 to 25 are a group vulnerable to mental illnesses from depression to anxiety disorders, according to The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).

“People in that age group are going through significant life transitions from adolescence to adulthood,” Ahles said.

During that transition, people show their identity by figuring out who they’re going to be as a person and what career they want to have. They try to establish and develop intimate relationships with others, Ahles said.

“They’re trying to figure out who they are and for some that goes well. For others, it doesn’t and they get depressed.”

Certain life experiences could lead to depression such as parental divorce, losing a job or a breakup with a boyfriend or girlfriend and even the death of a loved one, like Hernandez’s loss of her boyfriend.

“I was pretty much in a dark hole and saw no light,” said Hernandez about the first six months after her boyfriend’s suicide. “I couldn’t function, study or get out of bed. I didn’t care about anything or anyone anymore.”

With the support of her family and friends, Hernandez sought counseling at the Health Center. She also joined Survivors of Suicide, a support group for those who lost a loved one to suicide.

“It’s been very hard and it still is,” Hernandez said. “I’m picking up the pieces by getting all the help I need.”


Part 2 next issue

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