Depression in College Students

     Alissa Steiner takes on a daunting task by delving into the topic of depression. She explores how depression influences certain people, why it is caused, how we can recognize it, what triggers it, what it can lead to, proposals on how to handle it, and what actions are being taken to assist people in need. Her thesis is implied, but I think the closing of her essay demonstrates the main point. “If students are more informed about what depression is and how to detect it, they may be quicker to seek out someone to talk to, and possibly less likely to consider suicide as a solution...Hopefully, as universities come to realize the importance of students’ mental health in academic functioning, they will make funding their counseling services a priority”. In other words we can handle depression in better ways if we are informed about it and if its outreach programs have the proper funding.

     She supports her thesis by providing examples of people with depression, scientific information about the illness, statistics and details about organizations that are trying to lend out a helping hand. I completely agree with how she responds to the issue of depression in college students. I think Steiner does an excellent job of alerting her audience of depression’s severity. Depression should not be taken lightly. She grasps her audience’s attention by mentioning the suicide of one of her fellow classmates, Nima. He was a celebrated student with a wonderful personality. No one expected that this young man, with such a promising future would take his own life. Steiner displays her credibility by by providing important statistics. She states that a study by the American College Health Association found that professional diagnoses in depression in college students were up by ten percent. She then notes how chemical changes in the brain can contribute to depression. By explaining how to identify symptoms of depression she also helps her audience become more active readers. More people are being informed, so maybe more people can help others. Trigger factors of depression can stem from leaving home, balancing academics with work, relationships and more. To reemphasize the seriousness of depression she brings up the tragic suicide of MIT sophomore Elizabeth. Elizabeth showed signs of depression, but is was just to late when they found her. Hope is provided though counseling organizations. Organizations such as CAPS provide counseling and assistance for people that are depressed. Stein’s biggest complaint is that there are not enough of these organizations. They lack funding, and other people do not even know they exist. People do not utilize them enough. By alerting people about these organizations and providing funding to expand them, more lives would be saved.

     This piece definitely strikes a nerve for me because my grandmother suffers from depression as well. She has been battling with this illness her entire life, and counseling organizations like the ones that Steiner mentioned are what keep her going. I completely support her plea. No one deserves to be alone during such a difficult time in their life.

     If I were writing this essay, I would hope that I could include just as much as Steiner. She truly covers all the important aspects from support, to funding, to the scientific aspects of the illness and more. I only would do one thing differently. Even though her central focus is college students, I would expand it to people of all ages. I feel that depression should not be taken lightly and everyone deserves whatever help they need no matter what age. It is truly comforting that there are people like Steiner, addressing important topics that deserve more attention in our world.