Working Title: An Increase of Mental Illness Amongst
College Students
Topic:
I will explore the increase in depression
and anxiety amongst college students in the United States, as well as in Britain. In the past ten years depression and
anxiety high skyrocketed in the university population. This increase can be
brought about by a variety of factors, which range from the mere increase of
students who chose to attend college to the fact that more colleges across the
nation are becoming privatized. It is important that colleges acknowledge this
increase in order for them to provide the necessary help to their students.
Research Question
To what extent has depression and anxiety
increased in college students and why has this increase occurred? How are
colleges taking action in dealing with this epidemic?
Theoretical Frame
There is evidence to prove that the
increase in depression and anxiety is likely due to outside stressors, not just
a student’s predisposition for a mental illness. Higher education is bringing
about overwhelming levels of stress to all aspects of a student’s life. In Dana
Becker’s book she mentions that social problems are an inside job that cause stress
to many people. Americans, however, take the social stressors causing their
problems and try to face it on an individual level basis. It makes no sense to
continue providing individual treatment options when the problems themselves
are much larger scaled than that. In an
article “"Anxiety: the epidemic
sweeping through Generation Y” Rachael Dove explains some of these social
problems that Becker brings awareness to. Dove gives examples such as social
media and the fear of missing out, FOMO, as aspects of someone’s life that can
cause them to experience anxiety. Another issue that can be influencing such
high depression and anxiety rates in college students is the privatization of
colleges. Privatization of higher education is on the rise in the United States
and Britain, and so are depression and anxiety rates. According to Doves’
article, the most prevalent mental illness in Britain is Anxiety. I am curious
to find out if college is a common ground for increased depression and anxiety
in both the United States and Britain.
Research and Plan:
The
study “Prevalence and Correlates of Depression, Anxiety, and Suicdality Among
University Students” by Eisenberg et al., was a study that found an obvious
increase in depression and anxiety amongst a college population. This study in
particular found that students of a lower socioeconomic background were at a
higher risk for mental health problems. With the adverse affects of
privatization on students from a lower socioeconomic background, I believe
there will be evidence that privatization of colleges can be increasing the prevalence
of mental illness in this population. In the study “The relation of depression
and anxiety to life-stress and achievement in students” Andrews and Wilding
discuss the affects of depression and anxiety on academic performance once a
student enters college. A direct correlation to depression and anxiety in this
study, much like the one previously discussed, was financial difficulties. Privatization
may not be the only thing contributing to the rise of mental illness in college
students; the social aspect of drinking may also be contributing to it. In one
study by Allan F. Williams, “Social drinking, anxiety, and depression” he
writes that students were more likely to feel anxious and depressed during an
after drinking. I plan to use evidence from this study once I gain complete
access to it. In Amy Novotney’s article she discusses potential resources that
will help students cope with anxiety and depression while in school. There is a
device that helps log anxiety problems, and gives coping mechanisms. This helps
reduce the waitlist time many universities are having issues with at mental health
facilities.
Working Bibliography
Andrews, B., Wilding, J. “The relation of
depression and anxiety to life-stress and achievement in students.” British Journal of Psychology, Vol. 95,
2004, pp. 509-521.
Eisenberg, D., Gollust, S., Golberstein, E., Hefner,
J. “Prevalence and Correlates of Depression, Anxiety, and Suicidality Among
University Students. American Journal of
Orthopsychiatry, Vol. 77, No. 4, 2007, pp. 534-542.
Novotney, Amy. "Students Under
Pressure." American Psychological Association, vol. 45,
No. 8, September 2014, pp.
36. http://www.apa.org/monitor/2014/09/cover-pressure.aspx. Accessed 26
February 2017.
Williams, A. “Social drinking, anxiety, and
depression.” Journal of Personality and
Social Psychology, Vol. 3, No. 6, 1996, pp. 689-693.
