Over half of college students would try to ’sort out’ depression alone while over one-third would try to ignore the condition if affected, the results of a new survey have shown.

The results were released to coincide with the launch of the health education campaign, ‘Mind Yourselves’, which is aimed at the one in 13 students in Ireland believed to be affected by depression.

The campaign, which is in its second year, is run by the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) and the Samaritans, in conjunction with Lundbeck Ireland. According to the survey carried out for the campaign:

-Just 49% of 15-24 year olds believe it is important that depression is openly discussed.

-36% think that the condition is not well understood.

-55% would try to sort out depression alone

-35% would try to ignore the condition.

The survey also found that females would be more likely to seek help for depression than males.

“Opening up and sharing feelings, getting involved in college activity outside your course and dropping the negative internal commentary are good ways of achieving positive mental health. If you are feeling down for two weeks or more, you may have symptoms of depression and it could be time to seek advice”, said Kelly Mackey, USI welfare officer.

She emphasised that depression is ‘not just a passing mood that can be willed away’. Seeking help, she said, is the first step towards recovery and Irish colleges have a range of services available to help students.

As depression can often go unnoticed, the Mind Yourselves campaign encourages students to be vigilant of friends in college who may show signs of depression. Signs to look out for include sudden changes in behaviour such as neglecting personal hygiene, being moody or withdrawn, skipping lectures to more serious indicators, such as excessive binge drinking, drug use or self-harm.

“The first step on the road to recovery is admitting you need help. It often requires a great deal of courage for people to admit they need help”, said Mike Cobb of the Samaritans.

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