People who are depressed cannot function. Carole Bohn, executive director of BU's Danielsen Institute. Bohn adds that attitudes about getting treatment for depression are also less negative than they used to be. The Danielsen Institute is a licensed mental health clinic and accredited pastoral counseling center that provides both doctoral training and mental health services for BU students, faculty, and staff, as well as outreach to the greater Boston community. College students make up 95 percent of the population seeking help from the institute, but clients range in age from late teens to the elderly.
Young people feel a great deal of pressure when they come to college.
A lot of changes are going on for them all at once. Most major of all is leaving home. Students may feel excited and upbeat about going to college, but if they don't get the opportunity to express painful aspects of that transition, they may experience depression. Seeking help is one way for the student to gain control over these feelings and make them less overwhelming. While no one knows exactly what triggers depression or why some people become more depressed than others, some individuals are at greater risk.