With doctors diagnosing teens earlier and with more effective drugs available, "students who might have had to stay home are able to function better with that diagnosis and come to school," Thompson said. Students known to be on medication or in therapy are personally notified of services offered, including free, confidential counseling with any of three licensed counselors, monthly doctor's check-ups, assistance in getting prescriptions filled and a counselor on-call 24 hours a day. They also have one advantage over students who first confront depression at college. "They have a history of seeking help and utilizing help," Newmen said.

The Health Center aims to make all students aware of its resources and educates COOT leaders and hall staff every year. But telling students is only half of it. "We can't go out and drag them in here," said Thompson. "So, some of them we won't see until they're in crisis."

Two years ago Thompson presented a study of college students and depression at the New England College Health Association's annual conference. "What was of note to me was how many students come in and don't say, 'Hi, I'm depressed,' but leave with that diagnosis," she said. In Thompson's study sample only eight students out of 95 diagnosed with depression came in with that complaint. Students are more likely to seek medical help for symptoms related to depression, like fatigue, insomnia or anxiety, than for depression itself. "They don't want to have that," she said.

In addition to the usual adjustments of a first-year student, Kate Thurman '02 was learning to deal with her deafness in a larger college setting after "immense support" in high school. "Starting over at Colby was tough from day one because there was suddenly no one looking out for me," said Thurman. She had to ask professors for flexibility with certain projects and explain the microphone they needed to wear to feed their voices into hearing aids for her cochlear implant. She even skipped meals because the cacophony in the dining halls made it impossible for her to take part in conversation.

Thurman found herself lying awake every night wondering, "what is wrong with me?" When Thompson first diagnosed Thurman with depression, Thurman denied it. "That's impossible," she said. "I come from a great family and a privileged upbringing." Once Thurman accepted the diagnosis she began counseling and learned how to cope with and overcome depression. "I spent a lot of energy denying my depression," said Thurman. "But depression can, and does, hit all walks of life."

Students often are relieved to learn that depression can be caused by a physical factor, like a chemical imbalance in the brain. "You can't help it or you would have stopped it by now," Thompson tells patients. "Somehow I think they need to hear it over and over. It's still stigmatized."

<< | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | >>