Depression deserves a voice, especially on college campuses

With national depression awareness month coming to a close, I think it’s important for us to acknowledge the Talk About It campaign, Pitt’s refreshingly honest response to such a growing and misunderstood dilemma.

There is value in recognizing our University’s efforts to combat depression firstly because of the considerable threat the disease poses, especially for college students. In fact, according to research conducted by Northwestern University School of Medicine, one out of every four or five students who visits a university health center for a typical cold or sore throat are susceptible to be diagnosed with some form of depression, unbeknownst to the student.

The problem here is twofold. First of all, depression is a slow, insidious disease. It’s not as if you wake up one morning completely aware that you are in a totally different mental state from the day before. Rather, depression is an affliction that both emotionally and physically drains the victim over an extended period of time, as the symptoms can include chronic fatigue and loss of interest in activities and relationships. The sluggish development of depression consequently causes students to think they are just in a funk, so they might not feel that it is necessary to seek help.

The second factor affecting this growing problem within universities is external. Historically, many universities have separated mental health treatment from primary care, so students were never routinely screened for depression when visiting the health center, as it was not viewed as essential. Depression screening is incredibly easy to do because it requires students to answer simple questions that they could answer while sitting in the waiting room. 

Many college campuses, however, neglect to bring adequate awareness to the dangers of depression, the causes behind it, the signs indicative of it and the ways to help someone suffering from it. Proper education on the disease is essential for college students because college is often the first time in students’ lives when they are truly on their own. As a result, many students are uncomfortable talking about their depression or seeking help in this unfamiliar setting because they are either unaware of the characteristics of the disease or do not know where to turn if they have it.

This is indeed a problem because according to research conducted by psychiatrists at John Hopkins University, one of the most powerful factors that contributes to depression among college students is a lack of social support. In other words, if a student feels that he has no one to talk to about his emotional troubles or that his depression is abnormal, making him consequently ashamed to bring it up to friends, his depression will almost certainly worsen. Hence, in order to combat depression, it is essential that depressed students are willing to and feel comfortable with expressing their feelings and seeking help. And for this to happen, students must be educated on depression, and they must be aware of treatment options.

Therefore, it is important for campuses to create an environment in which the issue of depression does not go unspoken. In fact, it should be an open dialogue. And this brings me back to Pitt’s Talk About It campaign, which has accomplished just that.

Students and staff members from the Office of Student Affairs run the campaign, and their main goal and slogan is to “give depression a voice.” Through doing so, the campaign aims to eliminate the traditional stigma associated with depression — that the illness is something you should keep to yourself — and instead, works to bring the issue forward. These laudable efforts characterize depression as a real concern that students should not be ashamed to talk about. 

Throughout every semester, members of the campaign distribute educational materials to inform students of the symptoms of depression and the treatment options available to them both on and off campus. Additionally, the events they host are essential in not only making students more aware of their mental health, but also, in allowing them to feel more comfortable with it. The result is a student body that can recognize the symptoms of depression and is not afraid to seek help or to approach a friend who is demonstrating the signs of the affliction.

The campaign’s strategy in increasing depression awareness on campus has been very effective and highly vocal. This is evident all across campus, whether in the form of token campaign shirts with bright-green letters or posters informing students of the next mental health awareness event.

So we should be thankful that such an organization exists on our campus, unlike some other schools. Not only has it helped to strengthen the mental health of our student body, but it has also made students aware that the best way to fight depression is to talk about it. So once again, I think it’s essential we recognize and thank the Talk About It campaign for, indeed, giving depression a voice.

Write Nick at njv10@pitt.edu.