leagle Depression

College is a new, challenging, and exciting experience, and while here, you’ll encounter new situations and people from all over with different backgrounds. Some students know exactly what they want to do, while others will take more time to figure it out. 

Sometimes these new experiences can overwhelm you or your friends, making you feel down, discouraged, or even angry. But what about the times when those feelings disrupt your daily behaviors and hurt your relationships? If this has happened to you, you might be experiencing depression. This page has information for you to figure out if you’re experiencing depression and local and online resources for you. 

What is depression?

Depression is a common but serious illness that can affect your ability to maintain healthy relationships and cope with everyday stressors such as school, family, and friends. It’s more than just feeling down and blah for a bit–consistently feeling this way for more than a week could mean you are suffering from depression. 

  • 75% of lifetime cases of mental health conditions begin by age 24.
  • One in four young adults between the ages of 18 and 24 have a diagnosable mental illness.
  • More than 25% of college students have been diagnosed or treated by a professional for a mental health condition within the past year.
  • More than 11% of college students have been diagnosed or treated for anxiety in the past year and more than 10% reported being diagnosed or treated for depression.

*National Alliance on Mental Illness 

 

 

Signs and symptoms

 Here are the most common symptoms of depression. You do not need to experience all of these to fit the criteria. 

  1. Persistent sad, anxious, or “empty” feelings
  2. Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness, or hopelessness
  3. Loss of interest in activities or hobbies once pleasurable, including sex
  4. Difficulty concentrating, remembering
  5. Overeating, or appetite loss
  6. Aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems that do not ease even with treatment.
  7. Increase in problems with family or school
  8. Loss of energy and drive – feeling slow or sluggish
  9. Sleep problems – trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, sleeping too much, or can’t wake up
  10. Restlessness or irritability
  11. Desire to be alone often
  12. Increase in alcohol and drug use
  13. Talking about death or suicide*

*If you or someone you know has thought about suicide, seek help immediately from any of the resources listed below.

Resources and who to call

  • In case of an emergency, please call 911 or MassArt Public Safety at (617) 879-7800
  • Counseling and Wellness Center emergency drop-in hours Monday-Friday 3-4 pm
    • 2nd Floor of Kennedy
    • counseling@massart.edu
      879.7760
      Office Hours: Monday – Friday 9 am-5 pm
      Emergency drop-in hours: Monday – Friday 3 pm-4 pm
  • The Mental Health Care Consultation Service is designed for families struggling with depression or bipolar disorder. Families meet with an experienced counselor for assessment, guidance, and coaching so they can find the mental health care they need to address their difficulties. The service includes screenings, family meetings, a written action plan, and customized referrals. We have immediate availability to work with families either in our office, over the phone, or over the computer (through Skype). Both paid and free services are available depending on income (Care Consultations are FREE to families that meet our low-income guidelines.)
  • ULifeline: The Online Resource for College Mental Health
  • Depression UnderstoodCrisis hotline
    • (617) 247-0220 or (617) 247-8050 or  (800) 252-8336
  • Mass Samaritans Crisis Hotline
    • (877) 870-467324 hours/day

o    National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

  • 1-800-273-8255
What Is Depression?