College students are often told to be on the lookout for symptoms of depression and anxiety, but depression and anxiety can be incredibly difficult to define, making it challenging for students to know when they are experiencing symptoms.
Based on a report from the Mayo Clinic, a non-profit academic medical center focused on education and research, “up to 44% of college students reported having symptoms of depression and anxiety.”
According to the American Psychology Association, “there’s a fine line between depression and anxiety. Both are emotional responses, but depression is typically caused by an external trigger. On the other hand, anxiety is defined by persistent, excessive worries that don’t go away even in the absence of a stressor.”
There are other symptoms that people are often unaware of, though.
According to the Mayo Clinic, people concerned with anxiety should evaluate themselves for symptoms such as “sweating, trembling, feeling weak or tired, trouble concentrating, thinking about anything other than the present worry, having trouble sleeping, social isolation, problems functioning at school or work or panicking.”
For depression, Mayo Clinic urges people to monitor for “loss of interest or pleasure in most or all normal activities, sleep disturbances, tiredness and lack of energy, reduced appetite and weight loss, increased cravings for food and weight gain, anxiety, restlessness, slowed thinking, trouble thinking, memory difficulties or personality changes, difficulty handling schoolwork.”
Most students will experience some, if not all, of the symptoms at some point during their college careers, so it is important to recognize when the symptoms become severe.
“Although depression and anxiety may occur only once during your life, people typically have multiple episodes. During these episodes, symptoms occur most of the day, nearly every day,” the Mayo Clinic states.
“Make an appointment to see your doctor or mental health professional as soon as you can once these symptoms start to disrupt your day-to-day life. If you’re reluctant to seek treatment, talk to a friend or loved one, any health care professional, a faith leader, or someone else you trust.”
The university has a variety of resources for students dealing with depression and anxiety.
Students can receive free counseling through the University Counseling Center (UCC), where students talk with a mental health professional who will listen and help them through difficult times.
Professors and teachers assistants, who have gone through training to teach them how to help students with these things, are also resources for students.
