College is an exciting time for many young people. Many college students often feel stressed due to the new challenges brought by college—leaving home, studying and adapting to a new life.
Trying to cope with so many new changes may cause some students to suffer from depression. Studies show that more students now suffer from depression than previous generations. Let’s learn about the symptoms of depression and how to manage your own mental health.
Common Causes of Depression
Research shows that many mental health conditions begin to appear on individuals from the age of 18 to 24. The National Institute of Mental Health reports that 75% of people with anxiety disorders start to develop symptoms before the age of 22.
College is a common time when many people experience the first signs of depression. Depression is often accompanied by feelings of sadness or anxiety. It is worth noting that the cause of depression is not single, but there are several common factors among college students.
**A new environment. ** For many college students, college is their first time living away from home for a long time. While this is an exciting time for you to explore who you are and grow into someone, it is also very common to deal with homesickness or feeling of overwhelming.
**It may take some time to adapt to changes, such as living with a roommate or meeting new people. ** For the first time living alone, you may not have the same healthy diet and sleep habits as you are at home. These factors, combined with a more unpredictable schedule, can make you feel stressed.
**Genetics and personality. ** Your family history may be related to your depression, as depression can be inherited. Your genes may be related to depression, but not everyone with these genes will experience symptoms of depression.
**Your personality can also work. ** People with low self-esteem and low stress-bearing ability are more likely to suffer from depression. It’s also true that if you’re already pessimistic about things, you’re more likely to experience depression.
**There are depressed people around. ** Nowadays, depression among college students is more common. If you are in an environment that is surrounded by people who are also suffering from depression, you are more likely to feel depressed.
A recent study found that half of the students surveyed showed signs of depression and/or anxiety. Feelings of depression and anxiety can lead to feelings of loneliness, isolation and stress.
Signs of depression
Not everyone experiences the same symptoms of depression. However, there are some signs you can watch out for:
- Lack of energy
- Difficult to concentrate or remember things
- Yiru
- Insomnia
- Sleep too much
- Loss of appetite or overeating
- Lose interest in activities you like
- Feel guilt, despair, worthless, empty, sad, anxious, helpless or uneasy
- No improvement in pain, spasms
- Have suicidal thoughts
Depression-related Assessment Scale
- PHQ - 9 Depression Screening Scale Free Test : Can quickly and effectively screen depressive symptoms. Through the answers to nine depression-related questions in the past two weeks, we can initially judge whether there is a tendency to depression and the severity of depression. For example, the problem covers many aspects such as depression, loss of interest, sleep disorders, and fatigue. If most questions tend to choose symptoms more frequently during the answering process, you may need to pay more attention to your own situation and seek professional help.
- SDS Depression Self-rated Scale Free Online Test : Used to understand the degree of depression in one’s own way. The scale contains 20 items, covering multiple dimensions such as emotional disorders, physical symptoms, psychomotor disorders and psychological disorders. Answerers need to rate each item in four levels based on their actual feelings in the past week. Finally, by calculating the total score and converting it into standard scores, and comparing the corresponding score range, we can determine whether we are in a normal, mild, moderate or severe depression.
-QIDS - SR16 Online Assessment : It can quickly assess the severity of recent symptoms. These 16 questions focus on the core symptoms of depression, such as changes in mood, sleep, appetite, concentration, etc. The answerer can complete the assessment in a short time and have a preliminary understanding of the serious current symptoms of depression. - Burns Depression Checklist (BDC) : Assessment of depression status from multiple dimensions. The list consists of a series of questions describing emotional and psychological states, and the answerer scores according to his or her own degree of conformity. It covers a wide range of dimensions, including awareness of one’s own value, attitude towards life, and emotional stability, which can help answerers understand their depression state more comprehensively.
-Emotional Self-Assessment Scale: Depression - Anxiety - Stress Scale (DASS - 21) Online Assessment : Be able to fully understand your own emotional state. It not only targets depression, it also evaluates anxiety and stress levels at the same time. By answering 21 questions, the scores of depression, anxiety and stress were calculated separately, so that the answerer could clearly recognize his or her condition in these three emotions, thereby more comprehensively grasping his or her own psychological state.
-Baker Depression Scale (BDI-SF) Free Online Test : Concisely and Effectively Assess the Severity of Depression. This scale quickly understands the depression performance of answerers in terms of emotions, cognition, behavior, etc. through several key questions, and initially classifies the severity of depression in a concise way to help answerers quickly understand their general situation.
-Baker Depression Self-rated Scale BDI - IA : Understand depression from multiple perspectives. It contains more dimensions of problems. In addition to common emotions and behaviors, it also involves deep psychological states such as thinking patterns and expectations for the future, so that the answerer can understand his or her depression problems from a more comprehensive perspective.
-Hamilton Depression Scale HAMD Online Free Test : This is a commonly used clinical and highly professional evaluation tool. Its assessment of depression is more meticulous and in-depth, covering multiple aspects of symptoms, such as depression, guilt, suicidal concepts, sleep disorders, appetite changes, etc. Professionals often use this scale to comprehensively evaluate the patient’s depression status to assist in the formulation of clinical diagnosis and treatment plans.
How depression affects college students
Depression can harm your health. Your academic performance may also be affected. Some students even report that they are so frustrated that they have difficulty living and doing their daily routines.
Depression in college students can lead to bad habits. Some people turn to alcohol or substance abuse to deal with stress and other negative emotions. This may increase at the end of the semester, when deadlines and course burdens become more arduous.
While students with depression may not necessarily drink more than their peers, they are more likely to engage in dangerous behaviors, such as unsafe sexual behavior. They may also turn to street drugs to cope with their emotions.
Most worryingly, depression is a risk factor for suicide. Suicide is the third leading cause of death for people aged 15 to 24. If you realize you have feelings or symptoms of depression, there are a number of ways to get help and treatment.
How to treat university depression
If you are experiencing college depression, there are a number of ways to get help. Colleges and universities have health centers on campus where you can talk to mental health experts. This is the best start. These health centers may provide you with limited treatment, but they can refer you to other mental health experts in your community.
The most common treatment for depression is psychotherapy, also known as conversational therapy. Depending on your symptoms, your doctor may also give you antidepressants while treating them.
In addition to getting help from professionals, it is also important to take good care of yourself at home. Make sure you have plenty of sleep, seven to nine hours a night. Try eating healthy, nutritious foods to provide energy to your body and spend some time doing some exercise every day.
Alcohol and medications can worsen your depression. Try to find other ways to manage stress, such as spending time with friends or attending events you like. Most importantly, don’t try to hide your feelings. Talk to friends and family about your feelings and how they can help you feel better.
Conclusion
Depression is not a shameful disease, nor is it an insurmountable obstacle. As long as you have enough courage and confidence, you can overcome depression and regain happiness and hope. Hope this article helps you.
Link to this article: https://m.psyctest.cn/article/vWx1gJGX/
If the original article is reprinted, please indicate the author and the source in the form of this link.
