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Strategies to Help Students With Depression

As of 2009 the incidence of depression in students, especially college students, has reached proportions where it is now considered an epidemic. According to psychiatrist Richard Kadison, chief of mental health services at Harvard University, out of every five students under the age of 24, one will be diagnosed with serious depression. Dr. John Greden, executive director of the U-M Depression Center, states that the onset of depressive illness peaks during the ages of 15 to 19 and estimates that 15 percent of college students struggle with some form of depressive illness.

  1. Strategies to Combat Depression

    • There are a number of ways in which students can help their depression. The basic strategy is to remind yourself that stresses are a normal part of everyday life and that everyone feels "lost" at some point in their life. In cases where things feel particularly overwhelming, you should seek professional advice and attend support groups to gain a better understanding of what is really going on. Illegal drugs and alcohol should never be used to deal with problems, as they are never a way out of things but can only increase the stress and depression. Similarly, you should never use bingeing, compulsive eating or starvation to cope with depfession and stress since this only punishes the body for the pain being suffered by the mind. Perhaps the best strategy of all is to keep looking forward to the future instead of torturing yourself uselessly about the past.

    Importance of Coping Strategies

    • According to Frydenberg and Lewis, students who are in the habit of employing positive coping strategies have a more enhanced sense of self-efficacy and greater academic success. It is not only important for students to learn the positive strategies but also how to recognize and shun the maladaptive coping strategies, which include ignoring problems, worrying, avoiding other people, blaming themselves and using destructive behavior such as drug use as a means to escape.

    Mindsets

    • The mindset of students has also shown to play a role in causing depression. For instance, students with a fixed mindset have greater levels of depression since this makes them mull over their setbacks and problems, which in turn keeps them from getting into a more positive state of mind and moving forward. Students with fixed mindsets live a world of fixed traits with no allowance for mistakes. In contrast, students who have a growth mindset are more capable of steering out of potentially depressing situations since they live in a world of evolving qualities and know that there is no harm in stretching themselves to learn something new since it is all part of development. Developing a positive mindset is a powerful strategy that can help students stay away from depression. According to Carol Dweck in "Mindset: The New Psychology of Success," "Mindsets are just beliefs. They're powerful beliefs, but they're just something in your mind, and you can change your mind."

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