CSULB to educate students on the dangers of depression

By Katie Plourd
Online Forty-Niner
Contributing Writer

Cal State Long Beach will host its first Depression Awareness and Education Day on Oct. 14 in an effort to educate students about the seriousness of mental health issues, such as depression.

According to Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) psychologist, Judy Prince, CAPS is taking on a new approach to the outreach programs held on campus this year by focusing more on mental health.

Depression Awareness and Education Day will be presented by CAPS, PSI CHI and the Psychology Student's Association. The event will feature three main activities throughout the day including an information table, a guest speaker from the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance and a viewing of the film "The Truth about Suicide: Real Stories of Depression in College," Prince said.

Depression and mental health is often an overlooked problem, according to Prince. Depression has a stigma that often causes people to not take it seriously. Prince said this is the main need for depression education among students and society.

"In society in general there is a need for ongoing education and awareness regarding mental health issues," Prince said. "It is certainly relevant to students.

Depression and other issues are not uncommon to college students. This is a difficult time of life."

CSULB student Kate Kovacevich said that students don't know enough about depression and the factors that affect students.

"Students are under a lot of stress," Kovacevich said. "You see a lot of people doing really well and you're not doing well, maybe you think it's a reflection of you."

Kovacevich said that education will help students take the problem of mental health more seriously."A lot of people make a joke out of it and don't realize how serious it is," she said.

Depression is more than the normal ups and downs of life, Prince said.

Symptoms of depression include changes in sleeping patterns and appetite, feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness and sadness, loss of interest or pleasure in formerly important activities, fatigue, disturbed thinking, problems concentrating and suicidal thoughts or behaviors, according to the Department of Mental Health and Human Services.

"In terms of clinical depression there are a fair number of those symptoms and they are persistent over days or weeks or months or longer," Prince said. "Especially when they are disrupting the way that the person would normally function."

The issue of awareness is of importance to students particularly because many students don't know where to go says Prince.

CSULB student Carrie Cline recently had a friend who committed suicide.

"He was a happy person and I think a lot of it was he was just putting up fronts for everyone," Cline said. "I think it is sad when you can't talk to people that you're close to. You're ashamed that you're depressed, which makes you more depressed."

Depression awareness aims to educate and inform students so they know what to do if they are having these feelings, Prince said.Prince suggests that students visit a counselor at CAPS.

The center has a staff of nine full-time psychologists that students can talk to if they are having problems.

Coming into the counseling center is the first step, Prince said.

"If it was an emergency and someone was having those kinds of symptoms and they were falling apart or having suicidal thoughts, they would talk to someone that day."

Non-emergency cases include setting up an appointment and meeting with a psychologist to assess the problem.

According to Prince, CAPS is a well-utilized service at CSULB.

Depression Awareness and Education Day will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the west patio of the Student Union.

CAPS will also hold a depression management workshop next month, to help students manage their depression.