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Mike Malmon-Berg counsels students and others in a variety of areas, including depression, stress management, test anxiety, relationships, eating disorders, sexual assault, and drugs and alcohol. He also provides group therapy, conducts workshops in residence halls, and guest lectures for classes and other groups on campus. A psychologist and counselor at The College of Wooster since 1995, Malmon-Berg is a graduate of Pomona College, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology. He did his graduate work at the California School of Professional Psychology, where he earned his master’s and Ph.D. Before coming to Wooster, Malmon-Berg spent five years as the assistant director of counseling at Occidental College. During his tenure there, he provided individual and group psychotherapy, presented workshops, supervised graduate student interns, and consulted with students, staff, and faculty. Malmon-Berg is an active member of the American College Health Association, and has researched such topics as alcohol and memory, children as eyewitnesses, and mood and behavior in sports spectators. |
Many young people suffer from depression, but it often becomes aggravated when they leave home for college. Mike Malmon-Berg, a psychologist and counselor at The College of Wooster’s Longbrake Student Wellness Center, regularly works with students who deal with depression, and he addresses some of the critical issues regarding this illness. How common is depression among college students? According to the Spring 2000 NCHA survey, a nationwide assessment of college health, 10.3% of college students (twice as many women as men) have been diagnosed with depression by the time they graduate. This statistic supports what my colleagues at college health and counseling centers across the country have been observing for at least the past decade, namely that depression is increasingly common among college students. Some of this increase is attributable to better information and education about depression, resulting in more effective diagnosis and treatment. Do students who suffer from depression generally develop it at an earlier stage in life, or can it surface for the first time at college? Of that 10.3%, a substantial number (perhaps half of them) were diagnosed after they came to college. Many students I talk to who were not previously diagnosed report having had symptoms of depression for years without ever being treated. For others, the stresses they experience in college (e.g., physical and emotional separation from family, academic pressure, developing and losing romantic relationships, choosing a major or a career, etc.) may be enough to trigger a first depressive episode. What are some of the most common symptoms of depression among college students? The signs and symptoms of depression in college students are pretty much the same as for other age groups. These most commonly include sadness, isolation, sleep and appetite changes, lack of motivation, difficulty concentrating, irritability, lethargy, poor grooming/hygiene, an inability to take pleasure from normally enjoyable activities (anhedonia), negative speech content, inappropriate guilt, and suicidal thoughts. How does one differentiate between simply melancholy and serious depression? Everyone feels sad at times, sometimes profoundly so. Usually this is in response to some life event. When this happens, we may experience many of the symptoms described above. But for people with clinical depression, the feelings and symptoms last for a prolonged period of time, for weeks, months, or even years, and are not necessarily tied to life circumstances. One of the biggest red flags for me is when I hear a student say "I feel awful, I've felt awful for awhile, and there’s nothing so bad going on in my life that would make me feel this way." That’s when I start to think that we may be dealing with a biochemical illness. Depression is not a case of "the blues" that you have to try harder to snap yourself out of. It is not a weakness or a character flaw. It is a treatable medical condition. In what ways does depression affect the academic performance of students? Depression can have a profound impact on academic performance. For many students, a drop-off in performance is one of the first signs that something is really wrong, and that perhaps they should talk to someone about it. As depression gets worse, they tend to have greater difficulty concentrating and motivating themselves to do their work or go to class. They feel more hopeless and worthless as a result, making the depression even worse. A number of students every year are forced to take a medical leave from school after they fall into this kind of depressive spiral. What are some of the physical, social, and emotional consequences of depression? Physically, depressed students don’t have the energy that their non-depressed peers have. They may gain or lose weight as a result of appetite changes. They feel tired much of the time, in part from sleep difficulties. They also may experience headaches and sexual difficulties. Socially, they may be much more needy, or may separate themselves from others. Either way, relationships may suffer. Romantic relationships tend to be especially strained because the partner of the depressed person is often put in the role of caretaker. Decreased libido can result in drastic changes in sexual relationship. And, especially with college students, we tend to see an increase in alcohol and/or other drug use. Emotionally, perhaps the biggest consequence comes from experiencing the struggle. Students who are normally extremely capable start to see themselves as failures. Successes become ignored, and perceived failures become magnified. And of course the biggest danger is that the person will start to feel so helpless, hopeless, and worthless that suicide becomes an option. What is the role of the student wellness center in treating students with depression? As a psychologist on campus, and as part of the Student Wellness Center, I see my job as threefold. First, I must educate students about depression, to convince them that they are dealing with a genuine, treatable medical condition rather than a weakness, sadness, or character flaw. This often includes a quick lesson in basic brain biochemistry. We often also may have contact with the student’s friends, family, residence hall staff, etc., and can help to educate them, as well. Next, I serve as a referral source to appropriate medical personnel in our facility. This might be to help rule out any other physiological causes of their symptoms. More often, it is to start a course of antidepressant medication. With college students, convincing them to try medication can be a tough sell. Finally, I then move into the role of treating therapist. Research has clearly shown that the most effective method of treatment for depression includes both medication and psychotherapy. In that capacity, I try to give them more effective strategies for coping with their illness. But no matter which of our counselors they see, they can get all their treatment needs met in this one facility. |
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