“In the fall of 2005, psychiatrist J. Anderson Thomson Jr. was treating an 18-year- old college freshman whom he describes as ‘intensely depressed, feeling suicidal and doing self-cutting.’ A few years before, Thomson says, he would have interpreted her depression as anger turned inward. But instead he decided that her symptoms might be a way of signaling her unhappiness to people close to her. He discovered that his client’s parents had pressured her to attend the university and major in science, even though her real interest lay in the arts. In the course of therapy, he helped her become more assertive about her goals. When she transferred to another school and changed majors, he says, her depression lifted.” [Los Angeles Times, Health F1,2/12/07.]

Applying a new concept from evolutionary psychology, Thomson based his approach on the idea that depression is not simply a disease to be eliminated, but a way of eliciting support from family and friends.  Speaking to you not as a trained psychologist, but as a mother of three, I am certain treating depression must involve multiple independent tools but Thomson’s tool should not be forgotten as it rings true in my children’s anecdotal experiences both in the high school and college world.

Going away to college is a stressful change to say the least. What can we do?

First thing, when you drop your freshman at their dorm, don’t leave until you have the cell phone number of their Resident Advisor. Even if you student is happy from day one you may find the number useful to have the RA pin a “Happy Birthday” banner on your student’s door.

Second, listen to your college freshmen, listen not only to what they say, but to what they sound like. It’s not really all that different from high school. It’s just harder to collect the data. Are they doing their work for school? Are they having fun with usual friends doing the usual things? Has anything changed about their day…sleeping more, eating less or more, more time on the computer? [You can see from this that you will need to learn who your student’s friends are…visit the school and take them out for free meals. It’s easy–college kids will talk for food.]

One parting thought…children of all ages experience change and stress…different times, different reasons for each child. But we should remember part of the depression might be reaching out for support at any age.