How does depression manifest itself in college students?
Gilchrist, Leigh Z. "Personal and Psychological Problems of College Students." Encyclopedia of Education. Ed. James W. Guthrie. 2nd ed. Vol. 5. New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 2002. 1871-1874. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 28 Feb. 2016.
In this source, Leigh Z. Gilchrist discusses the many outcomes that college students are plagued with as a result of the stress and newness of higher education, and among depression, Gilchrist also discusses broken family dynamics, eating disorders, substance abuse, and a variety of other psychological disorders. Regarding depression, Gilchrist mentions that around 17% of the general American population undergoes, at some point, an episode of depression - however, she is also sure to point out that studies have shown that within the age group of 18-24, college students are twice as likely to develop clinical depression when compared to peers solely in the work force (not in college). She states that "depression manifests itself in varying degree from general symptomology to clinical disorder" and that the symptoms may impair cognitive, emotional, physical, and behavioral functioning. In this sense, Gilchrist argues that depression manifests itself in nearly every form possible in the lives of college students who suffer from it, and that this illness can cause detrimental effects in potential for success in higher education.
In reflecting on my initial research question for this blog post, exploring how depression may manifest itself in college students, I'm wondering if my question was narrow enough. Though research has shown that depression is much more common and invasive than many realize, depression can manifest itself in a large variety of different ways for different people. While many may experience similar themes of mood disorders, changes in sleeping and eating habits, and overall functionality in daily life, I feel it was unfair of me to assume that depression takes the same form for any college student; some experience severe symptoms, others mild, and this first source I chose did an effective job in helping me recognize that. I've become more aware of the potential "types" of depression, whether it be chronic, mild, or situational, and in this sense, I feel my source was also effective in answering my original question while helping spur me on to additional questions. Also, my thinking about my exploratory thesis has been re-shaped; since there is such a variety of different ways that depression can manifest itself in college students, I want to begin exploring the many different options for antidepressants there are and what, if any, differences there are between them. In addition to my exploratory thesis, I want to tie the antidepressants further into higher education itself. Since Gilchrist points out that college students are twice as likely to suffer from depression than non-college students, I've begun to wonder why exactly this is. I plan to begin researching what fundamental differences higher education offers that causes this shift in likelihood as well.
Throughout my analysis of this piece, my further questions circle around the idea of depression inside higher education versus depression outside higher education - what constitutes the difference? Why are college students twice as likely to develop clinical depression than their non-college student peers? How does higher education as a whole contribute to the likelihood of developing depression? I also want to further explore the many different ways that depression can manifest - what do extreme situations of depression look like in college students when compared to milder cases? What kind of negative, long-lasting effects can depression create for a struggling college student? I feel that these are all the important questions to be asking at this stage of my research because they will help me gain not only a better understanding of the role depression plays in higher education, but also the role higher education plays in depression. The best answers I've gained from my research so far include a better understanding of depression itself, the varying levels of severity, and just how prevalent it is on a typical college campus. These clarifications have enabled me to dig deeper in my continuing research and have taken me one step closer to arguing for or against the antidepressants themselves later.
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