{"169281":{"#nid":"169281","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Understanding Depression","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECollege students are faced with a variety of challenges in their life on campus \u2013 independent living, meeting academic challenges, managing financial and economic issues, as well as balancing social and relationship obligations. One increasing challenge that college students face is understanding and dealing with depression. Depression is a serious concern, particularly among college students in today\u2019s society. In a recent national survey of counseling center directors, almost 40 percent of the students coming to counseling were experiencing some form of depression. In the past four years, the Georgia Tech Counseling Center has seen an increase in the number of students seeking services for a variety of reasons. The number one concern is depression.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor students (and persons in general), \u201cnormal\u201d depression can typically be a feeling of sadness or \u201cfeeling blue\u201d that can be a normal reaction to an upsetting event such as the death of a family member or close friend, conflicts in relationships, poor performance on a test or in a class, or a reaction to multiple, stressful events. These situations can leave a person feeling helpless and sad. As a consequence, a student may experience some change in their appetite or sleep pattern and may also appear to be somewhat moody or irritable. In most cases however, students are able to recover and cope with the situation or concern directly related to their depressed mood and recover from their sadness.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn other cases, depression can be more complex and difficult for a student to deal with. In general, depression becomes a serious issue when the depression lasts for more than two weeks and significantly affects a student\u2019s areas of daily functioning in a number of areas. The following is a guide on recognizing signs of depression in your son or daughter:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAcademic Problems:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003ENot regularly attending classes\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ERepeatedly poor academic performance\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EProcrastination or loss of motivation\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ELack of concentration in classes and on tests\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EDisruptive classroom behavior\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EInterpersonal Problems:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EDisruptive behavior with others\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EEasily irritated with others\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EAvoiding or socially withdrawing from others\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EComplaints or concerns from friends, professors, or administrators\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EInability to get along with others\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBehavioral Problems:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EChange in personal hygiene\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EDramatic weight gain or loss\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ESignificant change in sleep pattern (too much or lack of sleep)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ETearfulness\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EUnruly behavior\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EThoughts of self harm\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOnce recognized, it is important to offer your student understanding and support. Ways to offer support might include:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003ETalking with your son or daughter directly to point out your observations;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EAvoid making the promise to keep things confidential;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EListening carefully and responding to both the content and the emotion of the circumstance;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EExpressing your concern in a non-judgmental, respectful manner;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EAssisting in identifying options of action and possible consequences; and\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ELetting them know that you are willing to assist them in getting professional help.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThere may be times when a student\u2019s depression turns to thoughts of suicide or thoughts of harming others. In those cases, it is very important to seriously consider their thoughts and to facilitate getting them the help that they need right away, either through your local emergency hospital or clinic or by notifying and consulting with the Counseling Center and the Office of the Dean of Students.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Counseling Center supports the personal and professional development of Georgia Tech students, the educational mission of the Institute and the Division of Student Affairs by providing short-term counseling, psychotherapy, educational programming, and consultation to the Georgia Tech community. The Center provides crisis and emergency services for students during regular office hours as well as after-hours and during the weekend.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Counseling Center also works closely with psychiatrists in the Psychiatric Clinic to facilitate referrals for psychiatric evaluations and to follow-up as needed. In cases where longer-term counseling is needed, the Counseling Center maintains a comprehensive referral listing of community service providers for students who are in need of extended services or whose presenting concerns are beyond the scope of service at the Center.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor more information, parents are encouraged to view our parent \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.counseling.gatech.edu\/plugins\/content\/index.php?id=61\u0022\u003Evideo\u003C\/a\u003E. To learn more about the Counseling Center and our services, please visit our website at \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.counseling.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ewww.counseling.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EOne increasing challenge that college students face is understanding and dealing with depression. The Counseling Center offers tips for how to identify and deal with these issues.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":"","uid":"27164","created_gmt":"2012-11-07 15:01:30","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:13:06","author":"Rachael Pocklington","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2012-11-07T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2012-11-07T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.deanofstudents.gatech.edu\/","title":"Office of the Dean of Students"},{"url":"http:\/\/studentaffairs.gatech.edu\/","title":"Division of Student Affairs"},{"url":"http:\/\/counseling.gatech.edu\/","title":"Counseling Center"}],"groups":[{"id":"1298","name":"Parent and Family Programs"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"1020","name":"counseling center"},{"id":"9024","name":"depression"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ERuperto M. Perez, Ph.D.\u003Cbr \/\u003E Director, Counseling Center\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:ruperto.perez@vpss.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eruperto.perez@vpss.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["parents@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}