Dear Members of the Bradley Community:
I want to salute AJ Lamb for his courage and insight shown in his senior column in the April 13 issue of the Scout. According to multiple sources including the National Institutes of Mental Health, depression is the most common health problem for students in college. The damage that depression does to success in school, in work and in relationships as well as the internal pain and suffering that it causes is so sad and unnecessary.
As a college instructor for more than 20 years and as a clinical social worker seeing college students in my counseling practice, I am almost daily confronted with the negative effects of depression on students. A study by the American Psychological Association found that as many as one-third of college students had experienced symptoms of depression in the past year that interfered with their functioning. So, Mr. Lamb is certainly not alone.
And, he is right; treatment is the answer. Depression is a health problem. It is treatable. It is not a personal failure. It is never too late to seek help. Talk to the Bradley Counseling Center, to a physician or to another mental health professional. We do owe it ourselves as Mr. Lamb says so well to not neglect our mental health.
Nancy Amos, Ph.D.
Social Work Program
amos@fsmail.bradley.edu