Addison Rothenbush
4/21/17
CAUSES OF DEPRESSION IN COLLEGE STUDENTS 2
Depression. Its been described as a black dog, a dark cloud, falling through a bottomless
pit, drowning, and many other poetic images that attempt to describe something so abstract. The
global rate of depression has been increasing around the world. An article in the IIliades (2013)
quoted the World Health Organization in stating that its now considered and epidemic, with an
estimated 5% of the global population suffering from it. A study of multiple studies done by
Ibrahim, Kelly, Adams, & Glazebrook (2013) about depression prevalence in college students
found that the rates of depression in college students are substantially higher than the rates of
depression in the general population. Every day more and more college students are diagnosed
with and begin to seek help for depression. Some universities, such as Franciscan University of
Steubenville, have seen increases in the number of clients for counseling. Beiter, Nash, McCrady,
Rhoades, Linscomb, Clarahan, & Sammut at the Franciscan University Counseling Center
(2015) reported a 231% increase in yearly visits from 2010-2014. Since so many college students
are suffering, I decided to find out why. What is causing this rise in depression in college
students? In my research paper, I will analyze and discuss three of the most common causes of
What is depression?
Before identifying the causes of depression, it is important to first identify what exactly
depression is and how it works. In a narrated video written by Helen Farrell (2015), she stated
that depression is a mental illness that is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental
factors. Genetics affect how the brain develops and works. Studies show that brains of people
with depression have smaller hippocampuses, the part of the brain that controls memory and
emotion. This area of the brain gets smaller the longer the person has had depression. A video by
CAUSES OF DEPRESSION IN COLLEGE STUDENTS 3
ASAP Science (2014) said that studies show that stress may actually be a main trigger in the
decrease of new neurons in this area of the brain. Scientists are still learning about the definite
and specific causes of depression, but both genes and environmental factors that make depression
more likely have been identified. Certain genes, such as the serotonin transport gene, can
increase the likelihood of someone having depression (ASAP Science, 2014). Since genetic
factors are more difficult to regulate and observe, my research focuses on the environmental
factors, which, to some extent, can be changed. After going through multiple lists and articles
with varying causes of depression, I decided to separate my results into three categories: pressure
Pressure to Succeed
The first category of causes can include any definition of what someone considers
success. It can include getting a great job, being rich, or having good grades in school. While
these are good goals to aim for, many of these areas are becoming more competitive and
therefore can cause false notions of failure when students try to compare themselves to others.
For example, the National Center for Education Statistics Fast Facts page stated that fall
enrollment in colleges and universities in the US has increased by 21% from 1994 to 2004. This
makes it more difficult for a student to be the best in their class, but many current college
students have been told that they can be the best and therefore are disappointed when they arent.
College enrollment is increasing partially because so many students believe they need to get a
college degree to get a good job. This leads to competition because so many students are
aiming for the good jobs, such as CEO. This is an admirable goal, but not everyone can be at
the top of a company. When students compare themselves to the few who are at the top, they can
CAUSES OF DEPRESSION IN COLLEGE STUDENTS 4
become discouraged. This can lead to depressive thoughts about self-worth. Unfortunately,
students on which areas of concern most contribute to stress. The top 10 answers were academic
relationships with friends, relationships with family, overall health, body image, and self-esteem
(Beiter, et al., 2015). At least three of these categories (academic performance, pressure to
succeed, and post-graduation plans) can be categorized into pressure to succeed, but other
concerns, such as relationships with friends, may also be put into this category depending on
how the individual defines success. Since, as I mentioned before, stress can be a contributor to
the decrease of new neurons related to depression, it is safe to assume that these sources of stress
are also likely sources of depression. To find more information about why these areas are
For my research, I interviewed three college students who have depression (personal
communication, March 5-31, 2017). I will refer to them as Students A, B, and C. When asked
about which factors contribute to their depression, all three students confirmed that pressure to
succeed has a large impact. Student A explained that they had always done well in school when
they were younger. As they grew up and school got more difficult, they felt extreme pressure to
continue to get the amazing grades they had gotten before. This led to stress and depressed
thoughts about how much more difficult it was to keep their grades up. Student B also felt the
pressure to succeed in school because of expectations set by their parents. Student C described a
similar situation concerning sports as they switched to a more competitive league. The pressure
these students faced caused stress that led to a deterioration of their health. When stressed,
CAUSES OF DEPRESSION IN COLLEGE STUDENTS 5
Student A began skipping meals and got little sleep from devoting so much time to studying.
Student C began stress eating and gained a concerning amount of weight. The stress alone was
enough to make their depression worse, but the added physical affects increased their depression
by adding more problems. This stress was difficult for all three students to get help for since the
Relationships
There are multiple types of relationships. They include relationships with family, friends,
love interests, and acquaintances. Each of these types of relationships can affect depression in
different ways. Some can be harmful while others may be beneficial. In the study performed at
Franciscan University, relationships with friends and relationships with family were among the
top 10 sources of concern. Though these two types of relationships are right next to each other in
the ranking, it is important to note that participants answered moderate to relationships with
friends more than relationships with family and answered extreme to relationships with family
more than relationships with friends. This indicates a distinct difference to the amount of stress
from each type of relationship, even though stress from these relationships is almost equally as
common. One reason for the difference may be that relationships with friends are helpful more
Of the three students I interviewed, all three stated that while some friendships cause
significant stress, family relationships are often worse. Student A reported multiple poor
relationships with family members. They said that their relationship with their parents was very
distant and they were always trying to please them. The emotional response they received most
often from their parents was disappointment and they received little praise for success because it
was expected of them. Their mother also has depression and often seems unable to put effort into
CAUSES OF DEPRESSION IN COLLEGE STUDENTS 6
their relationship. Student A felt they were constantly draining themselves to please their parents
and received very little in return. Furthermore, student A said that while relationships with
certain friends were stressful from trying to act the right way, relationships with closer friends
were helpful. Their friends were able to encourage and counsel Student A when they felt they
were unable to seek help from their family. However, Student A also claimed that seeking help
from friends caused new stress because they felt ashamed and guilty about their depression when
Student B reported a similar situation with friends, but a different situation with family.
Student B has two sisters who also suffer from depression. While they have great relationships
with these sisters, they often felt stressed when seeing these sisters struggle. Student B wanted to
help their sisters with their depression but felt unable to do so.
Student C had a similar family situation to Student B as they have a brother who also has
depression, but Student C was much more stressed by other relationships. Student C had extreme
difficulty in talking to new people and creating deep relationships. This lack of good
All three of these interviews show that relationships are a double-edged sword. While
some are beneficial, others are damaging for a student with depression. Friends often are more
likely to build up each other and show support while family members are more likely to be
criticizing. This may be because family has more unconditional love, so they know that theyll be
loved no matter how much criticism they give. While this logic usually holds true, it can be
damaging to family relationships. Family relationships also include parental authority figures.
While parents usually try to show their children that they want the best for them, teenagers can
see their parents as oppressive or controlling. This can cause teenagers to pull away from their
CAUSES OF DEPRESSION IN COLLEGE STUDENTS 7
parents and make them unwilling to open up to them. This prevents parents from being able to
help their child with their depression since they may not even know that their child is struggling
with it. Even if the parents are aware of their childs struggle with depression, the help they
provide tends to be more authoritative, which can again cause their child to pull away. Since
parents are caretakers, pulling away means that the student with depression has more
Personal Wellbeing
The final category of causes of depression to be discussed involves both physical and
mental wellbeing. From the Franciscan University study, quality of sleep, overall health, body
image, and self-esteem would all fall into this category. Exploring Psychology by Myers and
DeWall (2016) stated that people suffering with depression often have difficulty taking care of
themselves because depression causes fatigue. If someone does not take care of themselves, it
can cause a cycle of depressed thoughts and poor health that is difficult to break. Depression is
both physical and mental, so it makes sense that the causes are both physical and mental. Since
depression makes it difficult to function, personal wellbeing is a concern among many people
with depression. College can make this even more difficult with prolonged study times and the
sudden dependency of teenagers on themselves. These factors can have direct effects on the body
and cause low self-esteem and depressed thoughts when the students realize the decrease in their
health.
Fortunately, there are ways to use actions to help depression. As part of my research, I
talked to Jade Garneau-Fournier, PhD, who is part of the clinical staff at UCFs Counseling and
Psychological Services. She explained how doing small things like eating a good meal or going
CAUSES OF DEPRESSION IN COLLEGE STUDENTS 8
for a walk can help replace negative thoughts with positive ones (personal communication,
March 21, 2017). These activities help increase serotonin levels in the brain and make us happier.
People with depression often wait until they feel better before doing anything, but Garneau-
Fournier suggested the opposite. She said that students suffering with depression should make
themselves get up and do something to help them feel better. Even something as small as getting
out of bed and washing your face can help. Also, eating and staying hydrated strengthen the body
and provide the energy needed to be active. Skipping meals can be detrimental, but eating a
healthy amount of food is a simple way to keep serotonin levels up. This means that physical
wellbeing can contribute to mental wellbeing just as much as it can hurt it.
Another way to help make depression easier to deal with is by fighting the social stigma
about mental health. The National Institute of Mental Health said that it takes the average
person suffering with a mental illness over ten years to ask for help (Farrell). Part of the reason
why it takes so long is that people suffering with a mental illness feel embarrassed or guilty
about asking for help. Showing support for the people who are struggling can help them feel
more confident about opening up and seeking help. To do this, we also need to make sure that
help is available. There are many organizations and counseling centers that offer help, but there
are certain times of the year, such as near finals week or over holidays, when these places are
booked and are unable to provide everyone with the help they need (Garneau-Fournier, 2017).
Expanding these programs will allow them to help more students. This would include hiring
more psychologists and opening the counseling centers on weekends, when currently some are
closed. Making the services more well-known will also help. Some students may not yet know
about the services available to them. Some students may also be scared to go because of the
social stigma around mental health. Making knowledge about the services more widespread and
CAUSES OF DEPRESSION IN COLLEGE STUDENTS 9
talked about may encourage students to go. These things are not difficult to do, but they may
have a large impact on the number of students who are able and willing to get help.
Though the depression epidemic is growing, scientists are gradually learning more about
it. At the beginning of my research, I asked what the causes of depression in college students are.
After completing research, I now answer that question with pressure to succeed, relationships,
and personal wellbeing. While there are many causes, some also help fight depression. Of the
three mentioned before, I determined that relationships and personal wellbeing both hurt and
help depression by analyzing the upsides and downsides of each cause. When it comes to
relationships, they can be anywhere on the range of helpful or hurtful depending on the qualities
general are helpful or hurtful. Gentle and supporting relationships can encourage a person while
they struggle through depression while relationships with people who tend to criticize or demand
too much can be discouraging. For personal wellbeing, it can be a rollercoaster. If a student is
able to take care of themselves well, it will help their depression. However, having even one bad
day can cause damage. Missing a meal or getting too little sleep can have negative impacts on a
persons mood and can trigger depressive thought. Pressure to succeed is the only cause of the
three that has no apparent upsides. The pressure causes stress and causes students to panic or
freeze up rather than motivating them. While these causes are difficult to fight, they can be
worked on to help slow down and maybe one day stop the rise of depression in college students.
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References
Beiter, R., Nash, R., Mccrady, M., Rhoades, D., Linscomb, M., Clarahan, M., & Sammut, S.
(2015). The prevalence and correlates of depression, anxiety, and stress in a sample of
doi:10.1016/j.jad.2014.10.054
Farrell, Helen M.. (2015, December 15). What is depression? - Helen M. Farrell.
Ibrahim, A. K., Kelly, S. J., Adams, C. E., & Glazebrook, C. (2013). A systematic review of
Iliades, M. C. (2013, January 23). Stats and Facts About Depression in America.
http://www.everydayhealth.com/hs/major-depression/depression-statistics/. Accessed 22
February 2017.
Myers, D. G., & DeWall, C. N. (2016). Exploring psychology. New York: Worth , Macmillan
Learning.