Center To Screen Students For Depression
Depression can affect students in many ways, not only affecting
their personal lives but their academic lives as well, according
to William Metcalfe, director of SHSU’s Counseling Center.
“When a person is depressed or anxious, they tend to
miss class more often, they have problems concentrating, they
aren’t able to retain information as well, they just
overall are not performing as well in the classroom,”
Metcalfe said. “It also tends to affect their interpersonal
relationships. They feel that people don’t want to be
around them, so they might tend to isolate themselves even
more, which tends to make them more depressed.”
To educate students about the illness, its affect on people’s
lives and how to treat it, the center will host a depression
screening for SHSU students on Thursday (Oct. 26).
The free assessment, which requires students to fill out a
brief questionnaire, will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 pm. in
the Counseling Center, located in Lee Drain Building’s
north annex.
After students fill out the questionnaire, counselors will
meet with them individually to tally up responses and give
feedback. The whole process is not expected to take more than
10-15 minutes, according to Metcalfe.
For those who seem to experience a large number of symptoms
associated with depression or anxiety, the counselor will
discuss those issues and inquire as to whether the student
would like to set up an appointment with a counselor on campus
or receive a referral for an off-campus counselor. Services
offered at SHSU’s Counseling Center are free for students.
Symptoms of depression and anxiety include changes in appetite,
sleep patterns or energy levels, losing interest in things,
and feeling sad, blue or having crying spells, according to
Metcalfe.
The center will also be handing out literature about depression
and how to deal with a family member who may be depressed.
“It’s a good opportunity to share this information
to students who may share the information with other students,
friends or family members,” Metcalfe said. “It’s
really an awareness campaign as well as a diagnostic tool
for folks who may be experiencing some of those problems.
“We also have the information pamphlets that students
can take with them and share,” he said. “They
may be concerned about a roommate; they may be concerned about
someone in their fraternity or sorority or other organization.
It can be a useful resource and a way of reaching out to students.”
Depression and anxiety are the two most common diagnoses made
at SHSU’s Counseling Center, which is typical of most
university’s counseling centers, and both are treatable,
Metcalfe said.
“I think students, or people in general, will feel they
just need to pick themselves up by their bootstraps, that
they just need to work harder, try harder, and while that
does help in the process, sometimes you can’t just do
it all on your own,” Metcalfe said. “It doesn’t
hurt to have some assistance with doing that—to meet
with the counselor, to get some ideas of what might be contributing
to the depression, what they might be able to do differently
in terms of thinking about their situation and about making
some different decisions.
“In some cases it might be helpful to try some medication,”
he said. “Oftentimes while anti-depression medication
doesn’t really solve a person’s problems, it can
facilitate their being able to work on those problems in a
more effective kind of way and really make some good progress.”
The screenings are confidential, and students do not have
to make an appointment to participate.
For more information, call 936.294.1720.
—END—
SHSU Media Contact: Jennifer
Gauntt
Oct. 20, 2006
Please send comments, corrections, news tips to Today@Sam.edu.
|
