Students with mental illness and depression - Essay Example

Students with Mental Illness and Depression Mental health problem covers a greater range of disorders, but in a general characteristic, they all affect the personality, social interactions and the thought processes of the affected person. Mental illnesses are difficult to diagnose as compared to the physical illnesses. The data from the SAMHSA shows that twenty percent of people suffer from the mental disorder in America (Sutton 12). On other hand, five percent suffer from the disease that is severe enough to affect their learning, work, schools and other daily life aspects. Mental disorders occur in the variety of symptoms that can overlap, forms that differ from one individual to another, and this makes the diagnoses process to be a bit difficult (Coleman 24). Anxiety and depression disorders are common mental illnesses known to exist. Mental illnesses occur mostly in the times of uncertainty or stress which can be resulting from people’s daily life activities. It is worth to understand that mental illnesses and disorders are real illnesses. Just like other illnesses, such as asthma or diabetes, most mental disorders or illnesses are episodic. That means there are periods when people will be well and productive, as well as other times being unwell and their overall production and functioning, becomes low. Depression is just a mental disorder, but not a disease. Psychiatrists have tried to help people who seek medication for conditions of mental disorders such as depression, but they have failed to explain the meaning of disorder or depression. These conditions are called disorders but not diseases with a reason. Disorder means something out of ordinary, where depression and other known mental illnesses belong. According to a report in 2001, the US Department of Education reported that the rate of school dropouts among the students with mental illness is approximately fifty percent (U.S. Department of Education). The following are some examples of mental disorders: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity (ADHD). The above disorder is characterized by the lack of ability to remain focused on a task, excessive activity, and impulsive behavior or inability to remain for a some moments. This disorder mostly if found with children but there are some reported cases in adults. Anxiety/Panic Disorder It is characterized intermittent and sinusoidal attacks of phobia of something bad, which happened, or some sense of impending doom. Bipolar Disorder It causes repetition of emotional states between depressive phases and manic. Manic states have periods of heightened emotions and extreme activity. Depressive states are characterized by sadness and lethargy. The cycles occur periodically. Depression It covers a broad extent of conditions, primarily defined by recurring extremely bad moods and poor interest in pursuance of daily life. There are also incidences of feeling fatigue and bouts of lethargy. Dysthymia is a mild case of depression but lasts for a longer time. Schizophrenia It is not as commonly known to be, mainly about hearing voices or manifestation of different personalities. However, it is defined as a lack of ability to be able to distinguish reality. Schizophrenia may cause belief in conspiracies and may result in paranoia. Causes of mental illness to students College can be very stressful. Student can easily get anxious while trying to juggle friends, work, school, and family as well as figuring out the rest of their lives after schooling. However, most of the stress bounces back, but uncontrollable, intense and frequent anxiety interferes with their daily routine, which results in an anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the students. Students can also be stressed by the exams, which they do. US department of education did a 2001 survey; it showed that over sixty-two percent of students, who withdrew from school, usually do so with a reason (U.S. Department of Education). From the general scientific knowledge is that depression is not caused by one factor, but arises from multiple causes that may seem to happen simultaneously (Coleman 27). Genetic inheritance, life experience of a person, sex, age, hormone changes, brain chemistry imbalance and other illnesses may play a key role in depression development. Depression can occur spontaneously without a tangible cause. Current understanding shows that major depressions has many causes and happen from diverse genetic pathways. Daily occurrence of suicide cases and mood disorders tends to run in students. However, student’s genetic inheritance is just one factor. Some genetic pathways in depression development include observed changes in regional functioning of the brain. For instance, the imaging studies have shown that the front left part the brain becomes less functional and inactive during depression. Again, the brain pattern during sleeping time changes in some way during depression. There is also an association of depression with the changes in hypothalamus and pituitary gland response to hormone stimulation (Sutton 24). Depression has also been linked with the history of disturbances in sleep, medical illness, anxiety, alcoholism, chronic pain, attention-deficit hyperactivity and drug abuse. However, the inheritance tendency to develop depression is mostly associated with younger age depression onset. However, past the age of sixty it is less likely due to the predisposition of the genes. Life events and factors influence whether the inherited or genetic tendency developing the depression will lead to a major episode of depression. Certain life aspects like marital status, living place and financial standing, have some bearing whether one will experience depression or not though it could be a case of "an egg and the chicken.” For example, given that depression is common among homeless individuals it could be the reason as why they chose to be like that (Sutton 22). Long lasting stressors like unemployment, marriage difficulties play a great role in the depression development than stressors like receiving bad news or an argument engagement suddenly. Experiences of trauma may not contribute only to one's stress state but also alters functions of the brain in years to follow later. Traumatic experiences, which take place at early life, have been found to cause changes, which are long term in how brain will respond to future stress and fear. This response may account for what greater lifetime incidences of major depressions to people who had a significant history of childhood trauma. A mixture of psychological, biological, chemical and environmental factors causes mental disorders. Students from families with mental health disorder are more prone to develop depression at some point in life. Chemistry changes in the brain from either substance abuse or diet change may result in mental disorder. Environmental factors and psychological factors like social exposure and upbringing forms foundation for harmful thought patterns related to mental disorders (Whitaker and Cooper 22). Effects of mental illness on student’s performance in school and their behavior with their family and friends Students who experience mental illnesses develop an aspect of doubt in their abilities and appear less confident. A student will have a difficult time in learning, making decision and concentrating. Symptoms of mental disorders may portray much bigger thoughts. For instance, when a student cannot concentrate may think that they are unable to perform well in school and worry about losing focus in their studies. It is very easy to identify how these fluctuations affect the student's performance (Coleman 21). Mental disorder will have an impact on the students’ relationship with others. Students who experience mental disorders may withdraw from others or act in awkward ways, appear less attentive than usual and will tend to take longer time off. This withdrawal may strain the relationship with teachers, lecturers, tutors and even colleagues. Given the elaborate negative impacts, posed by the depression and disorders, there are many effects on the students’ performance. For instance, the change in sleep, this will affect the student’s performance in class during the day; it will also affect the student’s concentration. When the student’s concentration is very low, the performance will also be affected negatively. A student with low self-esteem will lack anything to motivate him/herself. Students may dwell much on their past failures, which ultimately will be influencing the student’s performance negatively. Hopelessness and helplessness experienced by the student undergoing depression will deviate the student’s focus from studies to strong feeling of excessive guilt, which may lead to suicidal thoughts (Whitaker and Cooper 34). Student experiencing depression will suffer from loss of appetite, this will deprive the body enough energy, which, as a result, will lower the student's mental activities, which adversely affect the student's performance. Again, depression on a student will cause lack of interest; this will make the students lose pleasure even in enjoying their most interesting subjects, thus affecting their performance negatively. Withdrawal will also make the student lose motivation to work hard in the class work, thus contributing to the student's failure. Depressed students will lose hope in their lives and may judge live with one negative event, which happened to them in their life. Consequently, they might conclude that life is dominated by such misfortunes, which will make them lose hope in their lives (Whitaker and Cooper 25). Depressed students will tend to have very hostile relationship with their family members; this ultimately affects their overall performance in school. Symptoms of students with mental illness or depression Mental illness and depression cannot be easily detected from outside look, but when student is experiencing severe depression, it is so disruptive in many ways. The major symptoms of the depression represent a major change in how someone functions. Such students become so hopeless and discouraged, and they will tend to prefer death to life. These feelings may lead to suicidal attempts, ideation and death through suicide. The following are major symptoms of the depression, and it is manifested in people. Change in sleep-Most students will have trouble in falling asleep. A student may be awake throughout the night or wake up several hours earlier than expected in the morning. Some other students will sleep abnormally long or much longer than they are used, when experiencing depression (Eisenman 4). Change in appetite-Most students will experience loss in appetite in the midst of depression. However, sometimes they may lose some noticeable weight. Other students will eat a lot and gain a lot of weights. Poor concentration-Students may lack adequate ability to concentrate and make irrational decisions. For instance, under severe depression a student will not be able to follow keenly a thirty-minute session of a lecture. Crucial making of a decision is also often impossible. This decision-making leads students who are depressed to feel as if they are losing their minds (Knifton and Quinn 20). Loss of energy-Profound fatigue and loss of energy often affect students living with depression. Their mental activity and speed are usually reduced as well as their ability to undertake normal daily routines (Eisenman 10). Again, for students living with depression, their response to the new environment is much slow. Lack of interest-At the time of depression, a student will feel very sad and lose interest in normal activities. Student might even lose the capacity to feel pleasure. For example, sex and eating will no longer be appealing at all. For activities, formerly they used to extract a lot of pleasures will seem boring and unrewarding at the time of depression and the ability to feel love may be lost (Knifton and Quinn 30). Low self-esteem-Student undergoing depression will dwell on memories of failures of losses and feel helplessness and excessive guilt. Thoughts as “am a loser” and "world is so terrible place” may take over student's mind that increases the chances of suicide. Guilt or Hopelessness-Depression can make one feel excessive hopelessness or have a feeling that nothing will improve. This feeling can increase the risk of suicide. Movement change-A depressed student will look physically depleted, slowed down or, agitated or activated. Effects of mental illness or depression on students Effects students experiencing depression will be in one-way or another affecting the overall performance in school and other social aspects. The following are the major effects a depressed student will experience; Student will experience a depressed mood, feeling of emptiness and sadness. They will manifest naturally without being provocated or triggered to happen. This provocation makes the student very volatile and for such a person it becomes a bit difficult to relate to others. The depressed students will experience reduced interest in involvement in activities that they used to enjoy before (Eisenman 16). Due to change in their appetite, because of depression they will experience weight loss or increase. The weight loss affects normal functioning of their bodies. Depression will result in fluctuations in sleeping, this affects the normal performance of the student in school and adversely interfere with the student's general body functioning. The depressed students will appear slow in performing their activities or feel agitated, this will affect their normal performance in schoolwork. Depressed student will experience loss in energy and feel fatigue; this slows down the mobility and thinking of the student. Student will experience sense of self-rejection, which makes the student feel unworthy, or experiencing excessive guilt, this demoralizes them and in return affect the student’s performance in school. A depression victim will suffer difficulties in thinking, encounter troubles in decision-making and experience poor concentration (Whitaker and Cooper 18). These experiences will contribute negatively to the students’ performance. Finally, a student who has severe depression will experience suicidal intentions or thoughts. Interventions by government, family, friends, school, teachers, parents, neighbors towards mental illness A depressed student can be helped through various ways. One can be put under medication where drugs are prescribed to the victim and used to rectify the mental health disorder, together with cognitive therapy or behavioral therapy. Mood stabilizers, antidepressants and antipsychotic are various types of medication that is prescribed to cure mental illness. Depending on the condition, diverse medications will be prescribed. Paxil, Prozac, Zoft and variety of MAOIs, SNRIs and SSRIs are examples of antidepressants, which are used to treat depression (Eisenman 13). Lithium tablets are mood stabilizers, which are used to cure bipolar disorder, as well as anticonvulsants such as Depakote. If a student is experiencing a mental disorder, it is wise to let them decide how and what to participate in the school activities (Knifton and Quinn 27). However, if any support can be offered, it is highly recommended. Let them experience your presence in order to hear their views and not to make a judgment. Again, let you ask the student how best you can be of help to them; include the depressed student in the activities without compelling them. As per the level of relationship, it is also worth to accompany them when they take their time off from an event. It is also advisable to advocate a clean environment, and this will improve students' well-being and enhance inclusive spaces. Depressed students can also be helped by being encouraged to exercise regularly (Knifton and Quinn 32). Regular exercise will ease mental disorder in a number of ways, which includes: Will make their brain feel relieved, since the feel-good brain chemicals are released. Immune system chemicals are also released which could have worsened the condition. Body temperature will be increased which act as calming effect. Depressed students will gain confidence, when they overcome the challenge they face in the exercising activity. Exercise will offer some distraction when one is exercising and will drive away those negative thoughts out of their minds. Students will get more social time to interact and socialize with their peers when they are exercising, this will give the chance to exchange friendly smiles and greetings, which will ease their moods. It will also help the student to cope with healthy living. Mental illness is a condition that when managed well can be rectified, and the student will continue with their normal life. References Coleman, Thomas E. The Effects Of Age And Exposure To Mental Illness Educational Material On Student Nurses' Attitudes Toward The Mentally Ill. 2005. Print. Eisenman, Russell. Creativity, Mental Illness And Crime. Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall Hunt Pub. Co., 2011. Print. Knifton, Lee, and Neil Quinn. Public Mental Health. Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill Education, 2013. Print. Sutton, Amy L. Depression Sourcebook. Detroit, MI: Omnigraphics, Inc., 2012. Print. U.S. Department of Education,. Twenty-Third Annual Report To Congress On The Implementation Of The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act. Washington, D.C: U.S. Department of Education, 2001. Print. Whitaker, Leighton C, and Stewart Edwin Cooper. Pharmacological Treatment Of College Students With Psychological Problems. Binghamton, NY: Haworth Press, 2007. Print. Read More