It is an illness. About 10 percent of students at IMSA see social workers for mild forms of depression, while approximately another five percent need off-campus help for severe depression. Other students who do not go to social workers for help may also suffer from depression. Social worker Cheryl McGuirk says that some students can suffer from their motivation to be perfectionists, thus putting extra pressure on themselves and leaving them open to suffer from depression. In addition, research shows that gifted students and adults are inclined to experience more stress because of academics and the expectations they have to meet.
Many factors can cause depression.
Because of their importance to adolescents and especially to students who live at IMSA among their peers, this is the most common agent of depression, along with family problems. Another factor is an overload of activities and not being able to effectively prioritize these activities in conjunction with academics. This is most prominent in sophomores because of the adjustment to IMSA's environment, but even seniors and juniors face the issue of time management. This series starts off with initial excitement at being here and wanting to meet new people. This is often followed by difficulty in adjusting to school life.