Poll: Nearly 50% of College Students Say They Feel Depressed

WASHINGTON
Published: May 25, 2009

A recent study conducted by the Associated Press and mtvU reports that 85 percent of college students are feeling stressed. In addition, 42 percent of students said they felt depressed and 13 percent showed signs of being at risk for mild depression.

The study, which surveyed 2,240 undergraduate students ages 18-24 at 40 U.S. four-year universities, found that many of these students had difficulty sleeping, felt down and hopeless, with most never receiving professional help. Eleven percent said they had thoughts of hurting themselves and that they’d be better off dead, according to the report.

Additionally, the survey discussed issues that would affect most students, including the downward spiraling economy. After taking a poll discussing those issues with the students, results show that:

  • 9 percent were at risk of moderate or severe depression
  • Nearly a quarter of students whose parents had lost their jobs during the semester showed signs of mild depression. More than double as many students (13-15 percent) whose parents lost a job said they seriously considered committing suicide
  • More than 25 percent of students who reported having seriously contemplated suicide had not received any counseling or treatment
  • Almost half of the students diagnosed with moderate depression were not familiar with counseling resources on campus

Furthermore, the AP-mtvU poll discovered that 84 percent of students surveyed knew who to turn to for help in cases of serious emotional distress. Twenty percent of those people said they would try school counseling.

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Posted in: News

Tagged with: Mental Health

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