Did you as a student feel depressed about covering up to ten chapters in a day? Do the algebraic equations make you sick and sluggish? In this world, we prioritize education as one of our necessities. As a student, you might have heard your ancestors say ‘education opens doors to life’. Truly, it does. But this particular belief has crushed us under heaps of expectations and dropped us in a clueless race. These Triggering Depression Symptoms are the present near us and we may know in brief later on.

Every student is trying their best to just secure marks and tick all the expectations. This particular marathon in education is the major reason for depression symptoms in students. Depression due to academics confines a child into achieving more and learning less. With more rigidness in the marking scale, the number of depressive students has been rising. 

Depression in students is also hyping up with other factors. Tough competitions, lack of recognition and continuous burden with expectation have deteriorated students’ mental health. The symptoms can range as mild, moderate or severe in the students. However, letting these symptoms pile up will only push the level of causes of depression in students. Depressive students stand at the risks of taking adverse steps such as suicidal attempts, substance abuse or self-harm. 

Before we dive into knowing what are the symptoms that trigger students, we need to know the basics. Let us begin by knowing how depression feels in students and what depressive students go through. 

Takeaway

Did you as a student feel depressed about covering up to ten chapters in a day? Do the algebraic equations make you sick and sluggish? This particular marathon in education is the major reason for symptoms in students. 

What Does Depression Look Like In Students?

It is a mental disorder that pushes a person into developing a negative approach towards life and its work. It develops a pessimistic thought process if anything goes wrong for the person. A depressed person is always surrounded by self-centric thoughts and goes through episodes of unhealthy outbursts. In a contrary situation, the person may pile up the frustration and isolate from the others. The emotions associated with it are loneliness, agitation, self-loathing, guilt and restlessness. 

According to studies, depression symptoms in students are prevalent regardless of age border and gender [1]. However, young students are less bound to go through depression. It only heightens or develops in early and late adolescent students [1]. The average onset of depression in students begins from the age of 14 years [1]. For a class teacher, recognizing this can be done through class activities. While depressive students might be withdrawn, however, there can be students who are enthusiastic yet suffering from depression. 

According to other studies by Science Direct, the rate of depression symptoms is far higher in university students than in the common population [2]. The university stage often takes a toll on the students to choose a career option and build it. Further, new responsibilities began to overwhelm them. At this stage, family expectations are high and competing with them becomes mental exhaustion for the students. The studies also indicate that lack of change in the educational system has contributed majorly to depression in students. 

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Depression due to academics is increased in students with special needs. Students with disabilities, specific learning disabilities, find it hard to be in the race. These kinds of students show increased symptoms than their peers who have no special needs [3]. However, the researchers are skeptical about these students suffering from clinical depression. If they do so, then the educational institutions must have special learning services devoted to them [3]. 

Depression symptoms hamper three core areas of student development. These are self-esteem, social interaction and academic performance. If a student is lacking in their academics or is burdened by pre-set expectations, performing well grinds them under pressure. Similarly, depressive students will have less amount of interaction. Most of their time would be spent running behind the grades and excellences. Further, failure in schools will push them towards low self-esteem. Lack of support from the family will only make the student go through guilt and self-degradation. 

Apart from these three aspects, there are several other ways that depression due to academics and other factors affects. Depressive students will ultimately have their creativity cut short or smothered for always. The depression symptoms will only make the students compete or give up. In this process, they would lose their creativity or their unique factor. In another different situation, the students may know their creative side. However, lack of support will never let them explore a different side of their personalities. 

In a nutshell, depression symptoms in students affect their day to day activities and performance. Normal tasks like sleeping, a healthy diet and exercising become difficult for depressive students. Depression due to academics and other factors develop resistance in students. They become rigid in accepting failure, trying new activities or incorporating fluidity in their personalities. With this, the thought process of depressive students appears to be stuffed and one dimensioned. 

Takeaway

Depression is a mental disorder that pushes a person into developing a negative approach towards life and its work. In a nutshell, depression symptoms in students affect their day to day activities and performance. Normal tasks like sleeping, a healthy diet and exercising become difficult for depressive students. 

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Factors That Can Lead To Depression In Students

While most of us consider academics to be the prominent factor in students, there are many. Apart from academics, there are some other prominent factors developing causes of depression in students. Let us know these factors in detail. 

Academics Factor

No doubt, academics is a major factor for depression in students. Acquiring good grades, topping the classes, takes a heavy chunk of load on the students. In this process of being academically good, the depressive students find it hard to see beyond studies. For them, the only purpose is to study well. The practical application of these studies is rarely taught to the students. Further, educational institutions lack the infusing ‘performance approach’ than the ‘grade approach’. Due to the marking scheme, the academics remain a one-way road. 

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Predetermined Expectations

One of the major causes of depression in students is due to predetermined expectations. In countries around Asia, students face the challenge to be a ‘pride’ for their families. Even before a child understands the classroom, he or she is told what are the good or bad grades. They are told to score well and that is the only way to be successful in life. This builds up frustration in depressive students.

They continuously try to live up to the family expectations. By doing so, their individuality gets hampered and in most cases, it is lost. Further, families can also pressurize the students in choosing the ‘ideal’ career. The students might follow but it would seem no less than an ancestral burden. 

Broken Family And Violence

Depressive students can be those who come from broken families or have seen violence since childhood. Often, watching one of the parents suffer through emotional, financial or physical violence, creates anxiety in the students. The symptoms can be insecurity, fear and isolation. Also, depressive students can come from broken families. If the parents are divorced or separated, it can affect the child. The students may receive a lack of affection, attention and assistance. This can prompt them to slip into depression and lose their concentration too. 

Financial Factors

Students who come from a shaky financial background may sulk into depression too. This is because, the continuous up and down condition of their homes, financially, can be very overwhelming for them. Also, these kinds of depressive students stand the chance of being bullied. This can push them into the depths of depression. These students would often feel insecure, and consider them worthless.

Bullying 

Ragging or bullying can be a foremost cause in students. Here, there can be two scenarios. Either the student who is getting harassed might slip into depression. Contradictorily, the student who harasses the students might undergo depression. Either way, bullying can emotionally and mentally damage the students to find their way in the future. It can leave a long-lasting impact on their mind and affect them adversely. 

These are some factors that can lead in students. The depression symptoms in these students can range due to any of these factors. Let us now understand what can be 7 triggering symptoms in students caused by these factors. 

Takeaway

The various factors that lead to depression symptoms in students are:

• Academics Factor
• Predetermined Expectations
• Broken Family And Violence
• Financial Factors
• Bullying 

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6 Triggering Depression Symptoms In Students

Causes of depression in students begin with symptoms. As discussed earlier, these depressive symptoms can be mild, moderate or severe. Treating comes the second stage for depression. The first and foremost stage is identifying depression symptoms in students. Below are 6 triggering, common, symptoms in students. 

Insomnia- I Cannot Sleep 

If you get to know about a student that stays awake beyond the sleeping time, the problem could be depression. One of the major symptoms in students is insomnia, also known as lack of sleep. This could be because of stress, frustration or continuous overthinking. Depressive students tend to overthink situations or pile up unhealthy emotions. This makes them sleepless. It also happens if they engage more time in their gadgets just to get rid of their depressive thoughts. 

Irritation- Moody Moods 

Depressive students tend to be irritated or moody. If you are watching them come home and look irritated, you need to know the reason. Depression in students can start with them being irritated. It can be either their lack of performing well or coping with the pressure. Further, family expectations can push them to feel irritated if they cannot achieve what has been expected from them. 

Failures- No Confrontations

Depressive students find it harder to accept their failure or that they are wrong. Here, the way they are told about their downfall also matters. If the teacher or any entity degrades the students, it would negatively impact them. Instead of looking at the positivity of the situation, they would look at the negative side of it. Further, it would sink them into self-loathing and self-worthlessness. 

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Future- A Black Hole

One of the major symptoms amongst depressive students is a lack of future goals. Depression in students will slowly make them realize that there is no future and the road is bleak ahead. The students will eventually lose their focus and in later stages find it hard to build a career too. Hence, it would leave them with less productivity and more anxiety. 

Thoughts- Suicides Are Better

If a student is having repeated death thoughts, this can indicate depression too. The reason for this can be many. It can be academic pressure, bullying instances or a lack of reaching the goals. This can make the student depressed and they might find it hard to navigate the future path. This is one of the severe depression symptoms and it should receive the necessary attention. The students who go through this should always approach the school counselor. 

Concentration- All Fickle Efforts

Focusing is a hard job for depressive students. Be it in the class or anywhere in a social event, a depressed student will find it very hard to keep track. Zoning out happens in depressive students and due to this, they find it hard to stick to a goal with proper concentration. Long span concentration is difficult in depressive students. 

These are the 6 triggering depression symptoms that can be seen if the students are going through depression. Correct intervention at the right time is required to not let the depression symptoms go out of control. 

Takeaway

There 6 triggering depression symptoms prevalent in depressive students as an indication of danger. These are:

• Insomnia– I Cannot Sleep 
• Irritation– Moody Moods 
• Failures– No Confrontations
• Future– A Black Hole
• Thoughts– Suicides Are Better
• Concentration– All Fickle Efforts

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Parting Note

As a student, you might have heard your ancestors say ‘education opens doors to life’. Truly, it does. But this particular belief has crushed us under heaps of expectations and dropped us in a clueless race. Every student is trying their best to just secure marks and tick all the expectations. This particular marathon in education is the major reason for depression symptoms in students.

It is a mental disorder that pushes a person into developing a negative approach towards life and its work. It develops a pessimistic thought process if anything goes wrong for the person. A depressed person is always surrounded by self-centric thoughts and goes through episodes of unhealthy outbursts. In a contrary situation, the person may pile up the frustration and isolate from the others. The emotions associated with it are loneliness, agitation, self-loathing, guilt and restlessness. 

There are various factors apart from depression due to academics. These accumulative factors prompt the signs or symptoms of depression in students. Further, there are 6 triggering symptoms that lead to depressive students. These are:

• Insomnia– I Cannot Sleep 
• Irritation– Moody Moods 
• Failures– No Confrontations
• Future– A Black Hole
• Thoughts– Suicides Are Better
• Concentration– All Fickle Efforts

Treating depression in students is essential to make sure that students prosper with their lives. These should not be the memories to hold but to change and learn more. 

Commonly Asked FAQs

1. What are depression symptoms in students?

The symptoms in students are:

• Lack of sleep
• Irritated moods
• Non-acceptance of failures
• Suicidal thoughts 
• Lack of concentration

2. What are 3 characteristics of depression?

The Three characteristics are:

• Change in appetite
• Change in sleep patterns
• Change in behavior

3. How does depression affect students?

It can affect students by making them lose their concentration for the future. It can make them lose interest in their academics if the predetermined expectations are handed over to them. Depression can also create a hazy understanding for the students.

References

[1] Khurshid, S., Parveen, Q., Yousuf, M. I., & Chaudhry, A. G. (2007). EFFECTS OF DEPRESSION ON STUDENTS’ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE. psychiatry, 903, 912.

[2] Ibrahim, A. K., Kelly, S. J., Adams, C. E., & Glazebrook, C. (2013). A systematic review of studies of depression prevalence in university students. Journal of psychiatric research, 47(3), 391-400.

[3] Maag, J. W., & Reid, R. (2006). Depression among students with learning disabilities: Assessing the risk. Journal of learning disabilities, 39(1), 3-10.