Counselors at USM’ s health services say they see “a lot” of students seeking help for depression, and that in most instances, it stems from relationships.
“Depression is called the silent killer,” said Kristine Bertini, director of University Health and Counseling Services (UHCS). “You may not even know if someone has it.” Neither Bertini, nor Bob Small, UHCS clinical director, had readily-available statistics on the number of USM students who sought help for depression in the past year.
Depression also is a leading cause of suicide, which is the second leading cause
of death for 15-24 year olds in Maine. Bertini did not have suicide statistics on hand.
Almost 16 percent of college women and 10 percent of college men report having been diagnosed with depression at some time in their lives, according to a 2001 report by the American College Health Association.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, a depressive disorder is an illness that involves the body, mood, and thoughts. It affects the way a person eats and sleeps, the way one feels about oneself, and the way one thinks about things. People with depression cannot merely “pull themselves together” and get better. Without treatment, symptoms can last for months and worsen.
There are also different types of depression. Dysthymia, a mood disorder, causes mild depression on most days over a period of at least two years. Seasonal Affective Disorder is a recurrence of major depression symptoms, only occurring during certain seasons. Postpartum depression, the most common type of depression occurs in women who have recently given birth. Postpartum usually interferes with the mother’s ability to bond with her baby. Bipolar disorder is also one of the most common.
Because depression is not always evident, Bertini said that it is important to know the warning signs, which include: feelings of sadness, decreased interest in activities, loss of energy, a change in appetite, a change in sleeping patterns, restlessness or feeling slowed down, decreased ability to make decisions or concentrate, feelings of worthlessness and thoughts of suicide or death.
“It’s a feeling of hopelessness,” Small said. “Like you have no future.” Small also said that it’s important for everyone to know the symptoms of depression and suicide, because if they notice a friends behavior is abnormal they can do something about it.
“Reach out,” Small said. “It’s okay. If you reach out to a friend and they don’t accept, at least you tried.”
UHCS says it’s also important to know the differences in symptoms between depression and suicide. In most cases symptoms of suicide can consist of a preoccupation with death, talk of suicide, giving away possessions, a sudden improvement in mood after a period of sadness and withdrawal, extreme moodiness, excessive self-criticism, neglect of appearance, isolation from friends and family and a feeling that life is meaningless.
“It’s a permanent solution to a temporary problem,” Small said. He also said that not every case of depression leads to a suicide or attempted suicide.
It is important to seek help, or help someone else if they may be depressed or suicidal. UHCS is always around to help, even if a student just wants to talk. Students can also see counselors 12 times during the school year for free, the cost of the service is paid for in student’s $40 health fee.
“Treatment [at UHCS] is a combination of psychotherapy [talking] and medication,” Bertini said. “We are considered short-term therapy.” In cases where students require further treatment, counseling services will refer them to outside resources. “The wait [to see acounselor] can be from one to three weeks,” Bertani said. “But if there is an emergency, we will get them in that minute.”
Small also said it’s important for students to know that being depressed doesn’t mean there is something wrong with them.
“It isn’t always about what’s wrong, it’s about what’s normal, and celebrating your strengths.” ?