Number of students reporting depression on the rise

By Jessica Alway

Santa Clara's resources to help students deal with stress, anxiety and depression are currently under a pinch.

The health and counseling centers have both seen a significant increase in the numbers of patients in the last year, a trend common across the nation, according to a recent study.

In the National Survey of Counseling Center Directors, over 80 percent of the 274 participating schools located in 27 states reported an increase of students with severe psychological disorders in the last five years. The counseling department at Kansas State University recently published a study of patient trends since 1989, one of the largest and most specific of its kind, which found that the percentage of students treated for depression doubled.

"Not only are cases of depression in the traditional sense on the rise," said Mohammad Oveissi, a psychologist in the Counseling Center, "but instances in which students exhibit depressive symptoms to deal with other issues troubling them has significantly increased on campus recently."

Data compiled by the Office of Student Life shows a significant surge in the percentage of students seeking help. The number of patients served at the Student Health Center rose over five percent in the last six months and the caseload of each therapist in the Counseling Center has increased from 22 to 30 hours per week this academic year. In fact, this quarter the center had to resort to a waiting list for the first time since its creation 12 years ago.

In response to national health assessment, over 18 percent of the 351 students surveyed reported experiencing depression in the last 12 months. While this percentage has increased since the previous year, it's higher than the national average of 16 percent.

The number of Santa Clara students that reported factors such as stress, anxiety and worry for loved ones as significantly affecting academic performance was consistently higher than the national average.

"If a person can't get out of bed, can't function normally, I believe they can probably benefit from medication," said Dr. Lauren Salaices, a primary care physician at Cowell Health Center. "You can get behind so easily at this school. If you are missing class for a week it could really affect performance. Secondly, if the patient is severely suicidal. If they have created a plan in their head, meds can help more quickly than treatment, which might initially depress a person even more."

Salaices said she believes certain medications can be very helpful, but psychotherapy is also an important part of treatment.

To deal with the increased number of students, the counseling center has cut the usual staff meeting down from two hours to only one once a week, freeing up all five therapists for one more hour a week.

Larry Wolfe, the director of the center, has also asked all his colleagues to review their current caseload to determine if any patients are ready to end treatment or at least decrease the frequency of appointments.

"Ultimately our goal is to provide services that limit the time students have to wait to get help. To do this we are also exploring many long term possibilities," said Jeanne Rosenberger, dean for Student Life. "We want to increase staffing and maybe take on a couple post doctoral interns, but these students would have to be supervised by current staff and must videotape sessions. This caused a decrease in the amount of time slots available. As a result the time the doctors spent educating the community has gone down considerably. It is all a trade off."

What lies behind the increase in number of students suffering from depression is unclear. While a greater awareness of mental illness might be to blame, many experts cite pressures on students created by the environment, academically and socially.

"It is important to think of the issue as a phenomenon which affects all people, not just certain age groups," said Oveissi. "Sometimes family members can be the cause of stress rather than a support group. Where they used to be point of financial and emotional support, when that is lost a person can feel guilty or like they are to blame for other family members problems."

Oveissi said he believes the Sept. 11 tragedy might be the root of some of the stress causing depressive symptoms. Initially, many people suffered from post traumatic stress syndrome immediately following the attack. Others began to worry constantly about their physical safety of their loved ones and themselves. Finally, lasting effects on the economy and the possibility of impending war have many young adults stressed, Oveissi said.

Despite the high number of students visiting the center, Oveissi stressed that anyone struggling with depression should seek help.

"The most important thing to remember is that sadness or worry is a normal reaction to stressors," said Oveissi. "It is okay to get help and learn new coping mechanisms; medication is not always necessary. Don't worry more about the way you are reacting. You aren't alone and it will be helpful to look for resources and support."