24 November 1998

Feature :

Depression strikes university students nationwide

The Cadre ° By KAREN RAWLINES ith midterms through and final exams just

around the corner, students across the country are not foreign to depression.

In fact, throughout the school year up to 78 percent of all university students suffer some symptoms of depression. At any given time, from 16 to 25 percent of the student popu- lation is experiencing such symptoms.

Students stricken with depression are subject to a wide range of symptoms.

The milder side of the disorder can include mere in- convenience, anexperience of irritability or trouble paying at- tention in class, and withdrawal contact from family and friends.

Moresevere depression can become quite debilitating and even life threatening. In very severe cases, thoughts of suicide, and in the worse cases, suicide attempts, are possible.

Michael Ungar, a guid- ance counsellor at UPEI ex- plains that university students can be prime targets for these experiences.

“Students usually arrive at university with high-achiev- ing goals. They carry excess baggage and a message telling them that they need to suc- ceed,” he says.

Any major change can act as a clue that someone may be depressed, Ungar ex- plained. This may include dis- rupted sleeping or eating pat- terns, excessive drinking or initiating any other such habit, or other ongoing, cyclic changes.

Often it is difficult for an individual to actually be- lieve that she or he is de- pressed.

“If marks and relation- ships are still meeting expec- tations, then people tend to persist in the same patterns,” Ungar says. “But one way or

another, stressors will show up, and your physical health will break down.”

Donald Stewart is a clinical psychologist and asso- ciate professor at Counselling Services and director of train- ing program at the University of Manitoba. According to him, depression is one of the most common complaints he hears.

“At this time of year, you're probably going to be finding a egree of depres- sion in every student

as we get closer to crunch time with ex- aminations.”

“Atthistime inthe year, you’re probably going to be finding a degree of depression in every student as we get close to crunch time with ex- aminations,” he says.

The most obvious symp- toms include depressed mood and a prolonged sense of un- happiness.

Stewart adds that acon- dition called anhedonia—a lack on interest in or loss of pleas- ure in previously enjoyable activities — also accompanies depression. “Things that used to bring pleasure...don’t make the person happy anymore,” he says. =

Stewart says that it is not uncommon for students to become depressed to the point where they are unable to at- tend class or to write exams. Still other students become depressed tothe point that they might have suicidal thoughts oreven act on those thoughts...

“It becomes a question of how many straws it takes to break the camels back,” he says. “For one student, it may be failing an exam. Other students may be quite resilient and it takes a number of fail- ures to not feel well. It’s an accumulation of things.”

Increasing school de- mands may make bouts of de-

pression seem insurmountable for many students.

“Something I’ve noticed over the last ten years is that we're seeing more students who are depressed now — more students with serious depression,” Stewart says. “Asresources become strained and people have more demands placed on them, it’s becoming harder and harder to cope.”

Financial difficulties also factor into the likelihood for student depression,

“The costs are also in- creasing with student loans being inadequate and summer jobs being harder to get so we're seeing the number of students with part time oreven full time jobs taking full course loads.”

Ungar notes that there can be a significant gender difference in coping with these stressors.

Women, for instance, tend tocreate acycle involving body image and eating disor- ders. Men, on the other hand, tend to exhibit other forms of self-destructive behaviour and risk-taking, such as drinking and driving.

While most cases of stu- dent depression are reactive to the situation, some may be bio- logically-based. Individuals who have a tendency to de- pression may be exhibiting a chronic form of the disorder, which may require a pharma- ceutical solution.

The time line for recov- ery is determined on an indi-

reacts. It’s natural and self- regulating to help avoid burn- out. People have to see its usefulness and accept it.” “This is sort of a trite saying, but | think it’s true that we often learn more from our failures than we do from our successes,” Stewart adds. Stewart and Ungar both note that if students are expe- riencing symptoms, then it's crucial that they seek help. “Depression is a very treatable condition,” Stewart says. “It is something that is well understood and respon-

sive to intervention. It’s not the kind of thing that will go away on its own. If it’s a bona fide depression, it’s likely to get worse, not better.”

Michael Ungar pointed out that an appoint- ment with Student Services may be the ideal way to be- gin approaching someone with your distress, as the environment is non-stigma- tizing. They handle every- thing from academic issues to personal issues.

vidual basis. Some form of cea

treatment, which can include counselling, therapy, or medi- cation, can help most students make a good recovery. Ungar suggests that even small ad- justments in regular routines can make the difference.

“Invest in yourself,” Ungar says. “People have theirown solutions within them- selves.” ;

Ungar continues to say that there are up sides to stress. “It’s functional. Your body

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