Student depression

‘I’m depressed’ now who hasn’t said that at one point or another? When the majority of people say it they mean they are feeling down, a bit tired possibly even hung-over. But some people say it and they mean it. Covering up every inch of skin even on a hot day can be a sign of self-harm, but how do you bring up the subject with someone?

In 2002, 6.1% of all students attending universities sought counselling for symptoms of depression. Did you also know that at least 10% of those students were suicidal or had attempted to kill themselves? Now these statistics have grown since then and no longer can people treat depression and self-harm as taboo.

According to mentalhealth.org.uk 1 in 6 people will be diagnosed with depression at some point in their life. Whereas 6% of boys’ and 16% of girls aged 16-19 are thought to have some form of a mental health problem. In 2005 around 142,000 admissions to hospital were for self-harm and around 19,000 were young people. An even more worrying statistic is that out of all deaths by young people 20% died by suicide.

Now it is important to remember that not all self-harmers are looking for attention, in fact it is one of the worst things to suggest. The national Inquiry into self-harm amongst young people claims that young people self-harming is mainly done so ‘because they have no other way of coping with problems and emotional distress in their lives’ As well as that it is not a good way of dealing with the issues behind the harm and only provides temporary relief.

The best way to try and understand depression is to speak to someone who has had it. But if that person is not willing or able to speak out about their problems, we as a society have to try and break down these barriers by being aware of the signs. Signs of having depression can include: loosing self-confidence, feeling empty and useless, increased feeling of anxiety, loosing interest in hobbies and even thoughts of death and suicide. However there are other symptoms and depression can only be diagnosed fully by a doctor.

The causes of depression can be a death in the family, stress, relationship problems or past events. However there are more difficult to pinpoint problems such as a hormone imbalance and changes in the brain’s chemistry. In most cases a doctor will be able to diagnose and treat the depression using medication such as prozac along with a therapy such as counselling.

According to the student website thesite.org it is important to remember that depression is in most cases a treatable condition and often goes away on it’s own without treatment. However if you or you know someone who is suffering from the above symptoms and ‘do not feel yourself’ lately then you should seek medical advice. Also if we know someone who has had depression in some form, we would expect to be treated in the same way they did. But everyone’s type of depression is different and treatment is tailored to the person’s individual needs.

As is mentioned above counselling is an often successful form of treatment and at the University of Lincoln we are lucky enough to have this service available to us free of charge. However a lot of other universities do not offer free counselling and some even refuse to see students who have gained the strength to admit to self-harming. The university councillors also have a wide range of people outside of the university that they can contact on your behalf if you feel you need more help. Everything is confidential and the counsellors are down to earth and friendly.

The downside to the service in Lincoln though reflects badly on those who fund the service. There is a waiting list in order to get on to the service for long term counselling appointments, which a lot of students seem to need. There are not enough councillors to see students in the time which in some cases may be essential; until this issue is addressed the service will struggle to cope with the ever increasing number of students seeking help.

Barbara Kamal, Senior student counsellor at the University says ‘About 30% of students who come for counselling will say that they are depressed but I would say that there are elements of depressive thinking in about 50% of all the students that we see.’ She also was quick to add that only a GP can fully diagnose depression and councillors are not doctors.

On the subject of self-harming she says ‘as a rough estimate I would say that between 10-15% of students presenting for counselling will disclose self harming. Some occasionally self harm, others are driven to it almost daily whatever the frequency it is always alarming and distressing.’

The reasons for a student self-harming are often hiding more complex problems in their lives, these could include feeling the need to control something physical due to a lack of emotional control on a situation. With regards to the frequency and reasons behind self-harm Barbara says ‘In my experience it is the accumulation of overwhelming feelings-from many sources- that produce the drive to self harm. Strong components for this drive will come from feelings of despair, impotency, stress and anxiety, depression and the belief that the individual can only find relief and comfort from the dreadful feelings by self harming.’

Self harm is a complex issue and it would be wrong to conclude that this is the same for everyone who resorts to this coping mechanism. “Truth Hurts” the inquiry into self-harm in young people by the mental health foundation found that ‘many described how self-harm gets out all the hurt, anger and pain but that relief is so short lived they feel the need to do it more often’ As well as raising the point in which a lot of young people claimed to self-harm because they saw no other alternative.

This shows how a lot of young people need help and support from those around them, not to be judged as if there is “something wrong” with them and not to be told “snap out of it” A comment featured in the inquiry summary I feel sums up the persons feelings behind self-harm is ‘I have found the decision to stop harming myself infinitely more difficult than the decision to start’

The survey also uncovered the stigma surrounding self-harm in that a young person was ‘gossiped about’ by teachers and the head teacher even asked her to leave the school, following her showing immense bravery by admitting the problem to a member of staff. It tries to convey the importance of support to the young person when they disclose their self-harm, as the hardest part of giving up is admitting it to others. “Truth Hurts” says ‘The reaction a young person receives when they disclose their self-harm can have a critical influence on whether they go on to access supportive services’

They also said it is important to remember that you can approach the person you suspect to be self-harming and reach out to them, instead of expecting them to come to you. Being supportive and non-judgmental is also important, as well as remembering what the person tells you is confidential and to not discuss it with others if you are asked not to.

One of the main fears in young people about disclosing their self-harm is that the situation will be taken out of their hands. If a student starts self-harming because they feel no control on their life and hurting themselves is the only thing they can have total control over, then the last thing they need is to have a lack of control over who is told and that ‘their previously secretive behaviour becomes common knowledge’

The University counselling service says on the subject of self-harm ‘the counselling service takes self harm very seriously and as counsellors we do our very best to help students overcome the difficult emotions that provoke this unhappy response.’ So there is support out there for anyone who is hurting themselves.

If you are feeling down then there are many ways you can try and tackle the problem before it turns into depression. These include taking up some form of exercise as this can help increase the production of “happy hormones” Trying to reduce intake of alcohol can also have a positive effect on your life by discouraging the need to use it as a “prop” in life.

Now it is important to note that depression is a form of mental illness and the stigma surrounding a mental illness needs to be stopped. One in four people will be affected by a mental illness at some point in their lives. Anorexia, bulimia, obsessions and some phobias are all forms of a mental illness, so why is it more socially accepted to have a strong fear of something than it is to be depressed?

Remember there is help out there for those who need it, we just all have to realise it is a problem, it is happening and we all must tackle it together.

© Emma-Jane Williams