It’s not uncommon in settings where you are meeting new people and experiencing new and exciting things to feel depressed. In fact, depression is one of the most common complaints heard from college students. Beyond simply feeling down temporarily — from either fatigue or feeling isolated from home — some students experience clinical depression or a mood disorder that is not a normal reaction to life’s short-term difficulties.

The following is a checklist of symptoms typically associated with depression.

  1. Depressed mood most of the day nearly every day for at least two weeks.
  2. Loss of interest or pleasure in most daily activities, nearly every day for at least two weeks.
  3. Significant weight change (at least five pounds) recently.
  4. Appetite changes for an extended period.
  5. Sleep problems nearly every day for at least two weeks.
  6. Feeling tired or loss of energy nearly every day for at least two weeks.
  7. Guilty feelings or feelings of worthlessness nearly every day for at least two weeks.
  8. Difficulty with thinking, concentration, or decision-making almost daily.
  9. Thoughts of death or suicide without a specific plan.
  10. A depressed mood that began after someone close to you died or within four weeks of giving birth.

Depression might be present if you can say yes to number 1 or 2, yes four or more times in numbers 3 through 9, or yes to number 10 with this mood lasting for more than two months. If these symptoms describe your feelings, help is available through Behavioral Health Services.