
A Brief Commentary on High Stakes Testing in the age of Covid-19
As a clinical psychologist in the age of this pandemic, one thing I’ve realized is, the necessary “shutting down” of many aspects of our society
According to the World Health Organization, Major depressive Disorder affects over 300 million people worldwide and is the world’s leading causes of disability (http://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/depression). The National Institute of Mental Health noted that in the U.S. in 2016, the highest incidence of major depression in adulthood was among individuals aged 18-25 (10.9%) (https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/major-depression.shtml). In other words, college-aged individuals were the adult group most afflicted by depression.
So, what differentiates an episode of major depression from a normal “spell of the blues?” A major depressive episode is defined by the DSM-V-TR as a two-week period in which 5 or more of the following symptoms have been present (at least one of the symptoms being depressed mood or lost of interest in pleasure).
For a more in-depth review of major depression please visit https://www.nami.org/Learn-More/Mental-Health-Conditions/Depression. Depression is a deadly serious mental health condition among college students. According to NAMI, 7 percent of college students have “seriously considered suicide” during the past year. Further, suicide is reportedly the 3rd leading cause of death on college campuses. In addition, a 2013 survey conducted by the Association of College Counseling Center Directors (https://www.aucccd.org/) found that 36.4% of college students reported they experienced some level of depression.
Fortunately, major depression is one of the most treatable mental health conditions. There are numerous antidepressant medications that can alleviate symptoms, and there are proven therapy methods, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, that are very effective in treating major depression.
If you or someone you know is suffering from depression then please seek help from the student mental health or counseling center, a local mental health professional, or, if you are in crisis, enter “local suicide hotline” into your web browser and a phone number will appear that can put you in touch with trained counselors.
As a clinical psychologist in the age of this pandemic, one thing I’ve realized is, the necessary “shutting down” of many aspects of our society
Often, young college students appear anxious, depressed, and their grades suffer. Family members are left scratching their heads and asking, “Why is my child, who
Anxiety is an inherent part of college for most high achieving students. To succeed in college and matriculate to graduate school a student typically must