
According to a study from the Center for Collegiate Mental Health in 2012-13, 30.3 percent of college students seriously considered attempting suicide, just under one in three.  Nearly a quarter of students intentionally harmed themselves without suicidal intent through cutting, burning, or other methods at some point as well (Novotney).  Depression and suicidal thoughts are serious problems on college campuses that could result in tragedy if schools are slow to step in and address the concern.  Most  --  if not all  --  colleges offer some sort of counseling service, but it needs to be bolstered and publicized to become more effective, in addition to ensuring that peers of the student using the resource would have no way of knowing the student was in counseling, as the stigma surrounding mental illness is so crippling.  At schools all around the country, students should have no trouble finding counseling help, and advocates need to speak up on campus to educate people and end the stigma of mental illness.

The rate of depression among college students has been rising for quite some time, and there is no reason to believe it will slow down any time soon (Neighmond).  Between attending classes, completing assignments, studying, working, and whatever commitments any given student has on his or her plate, it is easy to see why students get overwhelmed (Ridner).  Students can find themselves climbing the metaphorical mountaintop multiple times each semester, which can wear down their mental health.  College can be a perpetual cycle of long days and nights, which will cut down on a student's sleep.  Irregular sleep schedules and sleep deprivation are major triggers for depression, and a college environment is far from conducive to an ample, structured sleep schedule ("Depression in College Students").  Unfortunately, adolescents often need more sleep than the average human, which allows these sleep-deprived nights to take a larger toll on the student, thus wearing him or her down more quickly.  Most people have had some experience with their emotions changing after experiencing fatigue, but in the case of depression, a person's entire mindset can change, which if left untreated, can be incredibly detrimental.

Sleep deprivation is just one of many factors that lead to college depression though, as most students are busier than they have ever been in their lives, in addition to living away from home for probably the longest period of time that they have ever experienced (Ridner). Not only are students dealing with high quantities of stress, but their entire support systems are left in their hometowns, miles away from the students in need.  This void must be filled by the schools themselves, because students with increased stress levels and newfound distance from their family and childhood friends spell disaster for everyone involved.  

In order to make a considerable difference, colleges must load their staffs with highly-qualified professional counselors, who are well-equipped to deal with college students and the problems they may face.  In a lot of ways, college students are adults  --  or at least they are forced into acting as adults  --  and the transition can cause issues.  Colleges need to employ counselors who are able to treat them as such, as students need people who can understand their problems, rather than writing them off as insignificant or childish.  Counseling departments need to acknowledge and respect the feelings of the students in any situation, as students who suffer from depression generally feel as though they are all alone.  Having a counselor around that is able to at least pretend to empathize with the student would make huge changes in the life of that student, as the support of another person is one of the best ways to combat depression.  

That coin goes both ways however, as peers can also be the biggest factor keeping someone from seeking help for depression.  Mental illness comes with an incredible stigma, as simply seeing a counselor or admitting to having some sort of struggle with mental illness is enough for someone to earn a label of "crazy."  The primary way to defeat the stigma is to increase awareness.  Everyone is aware that depression exists, so the awareness needs to come in a different form.  The general public, particularly the younger demographic, needs to see people who suffer from depression who come off as normal people (because that's exactly what they are).  Once depression is no longer associated with insanity, students will be more willing to come forward.  Essentially, the movement needs a spokesperson, or preferably a group of them, on campuses all across the country.  This person doesn't have to be widely known, but rather an average person at the school who struggles with depression.  People willing to take a stand against the stigma can start a movement that will fix the growing problem of depression on college campuses.  Once depression is regarded as something a person has little control over, and as a condition that simply effects everyday life rather than defining it, it will no longer be a taboo topic for people to discuss; students who suffer from depression will be able to talk about it at face value: a condition that may make things more difficult in everyday life, but does not shape one's personality.

While people are overreacting in their response towards people who suffer from depression, most people have no grasp on just how difficult life as a depressed college student can be.  Depression and similar illnesses claim far too many lives each year, and according to a 2002 study, one out of every 12 students had formulated a legitimate suicide plan at least once during their college experience ("Statistics ... ").  As of December 2014, the suicide rate in young adults had tripled since the 1950s, and there is no reason to believe that trend is slowing down.  Stress on college students continues to increase, with large financial strains serving as another deterrent and depressing factor in what could already be a very anxiety-ridden life.  As far as living with depression goes, people generally suffer from fatigue, loss of appetite, inability to concentrate, loss of interest in generally enjoyable activities, and a laundry list of other symptoms (Pietrangelo).  When students are asked to do as much as the average college student does, these symptoms become a disastrous cocktail that creates self-loathing and perpetuates the cycle of depression.

Just as is the case with defeating the stigma, publicizing the ill effects of depression requires a vocal leader, to shed light on the reality of living with depression.  In his Ted Talk, Jack Park does just that, sharing with the world his story of surviving a suicide attempt and what he has learned since then (Park).  Stories like Park's need to come to the public forefront, because with a few more brave people like Park, more and more people will feel inspired to share their stories, which will in turn benefit even more people.  

Advocates do not have to burden all of the responsibility on their own however, as colleges should make decisions that are in the best interest of their students.  Depending on who you ask, mental health is even more important than an education, and to get the most out of an education, a student would need to have strong mental health.  Schools need to develop stronger support systems for depressed students, including free counseling and events to promote awareness of the true reality of depression.  If a school shows that it is devoted to helping its depressed students to the best of its ability, students will come forward to make a difference and win the fight against the stigma. 

Of course, there is the argument that colleges should focus on their primary purpose only, which is to provide an educational foundation.  Yes, colleges exist to provide students with an education to prepare them for the future, but they also provide the "college experience," which is such a major component of many students' four years.  To fully enjoy and appreciate the college experience, while absorbing information and progressing towards a degree, students should not be bogged down in depression, and if there are steps the school itself can take, it would be hard to argue that the institution should allow its students to suffer.  If colleges are truly set up to benefit students, rather than simply making money, revamped and improved resources for depressed students are the right move.

As a depressed college student myself, I understand the challenges people like me have to face.  I am a full-time student, I have a full-time job, and I have a full-time disorder.  Depression never sleeps; even when it fades into the background at times, it has a tendency to sneak up on me.  There are plenty of days where my brain simply doesn't want to pull my body out of bed to go to class or work, where sleep seems like the only thing that can help me, but even that is no use.  On plenty of occasions, my depression has hindered my productivity, sometimes stopping it completely.  My depression wins sometimes, keeping me from accomplishing things on my to-do list, completing assignments, or sometimes even making it to class.  However, the most difficult part about suffering from depression is the constant feeling that you must suffer in silence, alone.  People with depression are inclined to believe that people lack interest in their personal struggles, which can often be true, though that is not what keeps me quiet.  I am afraid to say anything about my battle with mental illness because of the way I will be perceived by my peers.  Potential employers would be scared off.  Friends and classmates would label me as "crazy."  But why?  All because I have a disorder that I cannot control, just like a disease or sickness.  It is time to stop treating depression as if it makes someone an outcast and time to start accepting it for what it is.

