Dr. Roy Boorady, a child and adolescent psychiatrist at the Child Mind Institute, says he gets “lots of calls first semester” about college kids who are having a hard time. “Usually what they end up doing is calling their parents in the middle of the night. Then their parents call me and say, ‘I’m getting two and three o’clock in the morning calls from my child who is crying and depressed and unhappy. What do we do?’
Detecting depression in kids college students who are away from home can be difficult. Some depression symptoms, like uncharacteristic sadness and crying, are straightforward, but others, like trouble concentrating and irritability, are less so. People with depression also tend to isolate themselves and take less pleasure in things they used to enjoy, so if you hear that your child is spending too much time alone in his dorm room or quitting the things that used to make him happy, he might be depressed.
Treating depression when kids are away at college can be complicated. Colleges have health centers on campus with professionals who can help, but convincing kids to go there can be “a feat in itself,” notes Dr. Boorady. That’s why he advises that kids who have already struggled with depression should contact the mental health professionals on campus before going to college. Having already made that initial contact and already knowing who and what to expect makes asking for help much easier.
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