The long winter and its potential to bring seasonal depression may be over, but more students will seek psychological counseling this spring than did in the winter or fall, if past trends continue to hold true.
Dr. Mark Reed, director of Counseling Services at Dick's House, theorized that spring was the busiest time for counseling due to its transitional nature -- seniors are graduating, juniors begin thinking about graduate school or their careers, sophomores are looking forward to off-terms, and freshmen are finishing their first year.
In the fall, he said, students are excited for the beginning of the year, and believe their problems will disappear with the excitement. In winter, students expect to feel depressed with the cold weather.
But if students still feel depressed in the spring, when most think they are supposed to feel happy, many realize that they do need to seek help, Reed said.
Overall, the number of students using counseling services has risen 10 percent each year for the past four years, with 970 students -- almost a quarter of the undergraduate student body -- using the service last year. The rise follows a national trend of increasing incidence of mental illness among college students. As students receive better treatment for their illnesses at younger ages, they are able to manage their disorders better and thus attend schools like Dartmouth, Reed said.
The most common complaints are anxiety or depressive type issues, but students also seek counseling for problems such as confusion over choosing a major, roommate dilemmas and parental pressure. Substance abuse, eating disorders and trauma issues are dealt with as well.
The reasons for anxiety and depression vary from person to person, Reed said. Chemical imbalances and genetic proclivity are the causes in some cases. One in five people in the country will become clinically depressed at some point in their life. But Reed said there is also a larger cultural reason for the increase in anxiety and depressive disorders.
"Our culture over the past 20 years has become more stressful," Reed said. "I think parents mean well and want the best for their children but I don't think young people get the relaxed lifestyle they used to."
Students who come to Dartmouth are already incredibly successful and busy, and that continues when they get here, Reed said. Over 100 students filling out the Class of 2007 health survey identified that they had mental health problems before arriving on campus.
A greater awareness of mental issues and decrease in the stigma of having them contributed to the increase in students seeking counseling, Reed said. This fall, 200 students participated in a College-sponsored Mental Health Awareness Week. Twenty were given referrals to speak to a counselor. Referrals also come from community directors, UGAs, athletic coaches and others in close contact with students.
"Compared to a lot of schools, we see a lot of students, and I think that is because of the support we have," Reed said.
Students seeking counseling have the options of group counseling, short-term individual counseling or an infirmary stay.
There is also an on-call counselor everyday for urgent problems and psychiatrists to prescribe medication if needed.
