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EDU 646 – CURRENT ISSUES IN EDUCATION

CRITICAL ESSAY PAPER:

DEPRESSION AMONG STUDENTS

PREPARED BY:

SITI NABILA BINTI MOHD RUS

(2013495282)

GROUP: ED2417A / EDU646C

PREPARED FOR:

ASSOC. PROF. DR. ROS AIZAN ROS YAHYA


TABLE OF CONTENTS

CONTENT PAGE
1.0 Summary 1
2.0 Introduction 2
3.0 Depression Among Students 3
3.0.1 Looking at It Worldwide
3.0.2 The Scenario in Malaysia
3.1 Factors 5
3.2 Underlying Theories 7
3.3 Impacts 10
3.4 Recommended Solutions 11
4.0 Personal Reflection 12
5.0 Conclusion 13
6.0 References 14
1.0 SUMMARY

This critical reflective paper will further expound on the issue of depression among
students and the factors which contribute to the rise of it. We are also going to look at some of
the learning theories which underlie the issue. By looking at it from both behaviourist and
cognitive perspectives, we are able to identify the relation of this issue with the theories such as
operant conditioning, Beck’s theory, and Seligman’s learned helplessness theory, just to name a
few. By identifying the root of the problem, we are able to figure out ways in solving it. Moving
on to the solution, we apply the humanistic approach, which further puts into application of
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs’ theory in action. Personal experiences and propositions will also
be included in this paper. In sum, this issue should be taken into great concern by everyone in
the education field for by taking the matter lightly, the aftermaths is almost unimaginable and
destructive to our students who are future nation leaders.

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2.0 INTRODUCTION

In an article of New Straits Time published on 12th September 2016, the Health Ministry
has determined that anxiety and depression are the major causes of mental health problems
among students in Malaysia. It was found out that the tendency of a student to have mental
illness has increased, from one to ten individuals in 2011 to one in five in 2016. From here, it is
evident that the rise in the number of students with mental health problems should be looked at
with great concern. Depression, according to HelpGuide.org, is described as “living in a black
hole”. It is a feeling of hopelessness and despair which makes it difficult for you to enjoy life the
way you did before. The depression could make an individual seclude him or herself from
others. Among the symptoms are extreme mood changes that may result in extreme anger.
According to the article, it is inferred that one of the causes is the high expectation from the
parents which pressure them to perform well academically. The students may act aggressively
which may also lead to their deaths. This is why it is important for us to properly address this
issue. Mental health problems are serious. They should not be taken lightly by anyone.

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3.0 DEPRESSION AMONG STUDENTS

3.0.1 LOOKING AT IT WORLDWIDE

In an article released by The Guardian on 14th December 2015, Natalie Gil included the
statistics of a survey by National Union of Students (NUS) which was conducted in the previous
year. Based on this study, it was found that eight out of ten students (78%) indicated of having
mental health problems. The survey which was focused on 1,093 students in higher education
reported that one third also had suicidal thoughts. The rate was 55% higher for those who were
not heterosexual. In terms of seeking for treatment, it was found that more than half, which
refers to 54% of the students with mental health issues, did not seek for support and help. A
third of the 54% indicated of not knowing where to seek for it, while 40% of them were anxious
of what kind of support they will be receiving from their institution. Aoife Inman, 19 who was a
second-year student of University of Manchester, inferred that the issue was very common
among students. However, there were not many who would acknowledge themselves as having
the problem, or even accept what they were suffering from. She also inferred university as “a
highly isolating environment”, in which students often struggle on the own as they move away
from home. College years are perceived as the best moments of your life, yet for those with
mental health issues, it was depressing because they are unable to fit in the student stereotypes
which makes their mental health condition worsen.

In a more recent article by Katie Paterson (31 March 2016) posted on Save the Student,
there is 28% rise in UK students who sought for counselling at their institution. The possible
reason of why there is such a drastic increase of rate is the rising tuition fees. As stated in the
article, there were only 34,000 students in UK seeking counselling for anxiety and depression in
2011. This was the year before the tuition fees rose to ₤9,000. In 2014/15, the number has
increased significantly to 43,000 students. Thus, the increase in the tuition fees may become a
possible factor for the rising of the depression rate among students enrolling in UK’s higher
education system. Another possible reason of why there is such a drastic increase is the
change of the student culture. Back then, college years are often associated with “long lazy
days” which makes it understandable that some people refer to them as the best moments of
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one’s life. However, due to the pressure to perform academically well and the anxiety which
students experience in struggling to excel in their academics, it was evident that university life
can be a pressure cooker for them. They become more anxious and wary of the assignment
deadlines and the wide gap between what they expect to achieve and what they really do
achieve make their depression worse. It was also stated that the demand for student
counselling services has increased to 10% annually, as claimed by Dr. Caleb, a representative
of the student counselling. The source’s student money survey which was conducted in 2015
also seemed to be evident of the factors leading to such a significant increase. In the survey,
students are more aware of how they spend, cutting down more and more on food, clothes and
socialising, and spending more on rent due to the continuous increase of the rental price.
Interestingly enough, even globally, there is the worrying lack of concern regarding students
who experience mental health issues.

3.0.2 THE SCENARIO IN MALAYSIA

As mentioned in the earlier part of this paper, News Straits Times in its article on 12 th
September 2016 has voiced out the concern of Ministry of Health Malaysia regarding the
increasing rate of depression among students, which has grown twice since five years ago.
Another famous media, Malaysian Digest issued out an article on 6th January 2014, which was
two years back previously, informing that 20 per cent of children in Malaysia are suffering from
stress, anxiety and depression in the latest National Health Morbidity Survey (NHMS). It was
also important to take note that some also suffered from schizophrenia, which was deemed as a
severe psychological problem. It is urged that this issue should be taken into great concern
because as stated “children and adolescents are assets to the nation’s development.” Based on
a research article by Choon Khim Teh et.al (2015), it was found that depression is prevalent
among undergraduate students in a local higher learning institution. The study revealed that the
percentage from moderate to extreme cases of depression is 30.7%, 55.5% and 16%. Hence, it
was evident that students do experience depression, and it may be harmful to their emotional
well-being.

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3.1 FACTORS

According to Dr Lokman in a Malaysian Digest article (January 2014), he believed that


the students’ poor mental health is the result of parental pressure who aims to see their children
succeed in academics. However, sometimes, these parents set quite high expectations for the
children, which may also be termed as overly ambitious, leading to the students perceiving that
it may not be possible for them to achieve what the parents have expected them to get that
easily. The Sun Daily (12 September 2016), on the other hand, stated that apart from agreeing
with the possibility that this issue might stem from anxiety and depression, it may also be
caused by the influence of drugs. Dr Mohd Suhaimi in the newspaper’s article mentioned that
some other causes may also be anxiety which was developed from trauma, emotional disorders
like bulimia, and developmental disorders such as hyperactivity, behavioural disorders and
severe stress due to family problems.

In an article written by Vanessa Ee-lyn Gomes and Shafina Sukiman, psychologists had
inferred that there are many factors contributing to the death of a 17-year-old student who hung
himself after he could not do well in Additional Mathematics paper 1. He was a son of a single
mother, and it was said that the reason which may lead to his suicidal act was the fact that he
may not be able to get scholarships. Due to his failure in answering the exam questions well
which may result in him not getting straight As for SPM, the student decided that suicide may be
the best way to cope with his stress. This is proven to be evident of just how exam-oriented our
system is that it becomes an intense pressure for the students to do well in their academics.
According to the article, among the factors may be constant negative feedback, stress and lack
of proper support system, which plays an essential role as an outlet for “troubled youngsters” to
turn to. The same goes with adults. When there is no moral support, and there is constant
negative feedback which may result in losing friends, depression occurs. In the article, Ann Ding
Choong Ai, a community counsellor stated that students were pressured particularly during
examinations. It was also inferred that the student could have been dealing with bullying, family
pressure or stress at school. Thus, factors which lead to depression among students are
bullying, high expectation in academics by parents and oneself, family pressure and emotional
disorders which may occur as a result of traumatic experiences, such as loss of loved ones and
rejection.
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Choon Khim Teh et.al (2015) stated that depression among students could be caused by
two factors. The first is the enormous syllabus to be covered which increases the anxiety among
students in relation of achieving good grades in exams. Besides that, the second factor is social
stress such as relationship with peer groups, hostel friends, being away from home and financial
difficulties pose a great threat to inducing depression among students. Based on the results,
single people tend to be more depressed as compared to those in relationships. The
researchers inferred that this is due to the absence of partner whom someone may receive
moral support from, which the single people lack of. Secondly, students from families with lower
socioeconomic status are more likely to have more depression. This may be due to the financial
problems they have in terms of funding their studies. Emotional disturbances among the
subjects also exist. The researchers suggested that practising healthy lifestyle may be able to
help handle this issue.

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3.2 UNDERLYING THEORIES

In relation to educational theories, there are several theories underlying depression.


According to an article by Saul McLeod which was posted in 2015 on Simply Psychology, the
issue is looked at from two different perspectives, namely behavioural and cognitive. We are
going to first explore the issue from the behaviourist perspective. Behaviourism emphasises on
the shaping of an individual behaviour as a result of the environment. In this case, depression is
associated with the observable behaviour and the condition of environments in which the
individuals learn behaviour. In short, depression is the outcome of an individual’s interaction
with his or her environment. The first behaviourist theory is operant conditioning. In regards to
depression, this issue arises when the positive reinforcement is absent from the environment.
For instance, losing a job and failing in examinations are highly likely to lead to depression
because we lose people when we undergo such circumstances. Losing a job makes you lose
your collegues and most of your friends you usually hang out with. Failing in examinations make
you less desirable to be chosen as friends or study group mates, especially when there is a
great pressure in the learning environment to excel in academics.

As a result, depressed people tend to become socially inactive. They tend to isolate
themselves from others, perceiving themselves as socially undesirable and unworthy to be
around with. However, this further induces seriousness on the problem, as the depressed
individuals tend to become more and more depressed due to the absence of company by
people they feel emotionally connected with, thus causing them to reinforce maladaptive
behaviour, such as complaining, being pessimistic in almost everything and talking casually
about suicide. For instance, many students engage themselves with self-harming behaviour,
which may be a symptom of depression.

The previous learning theory is highly related to reactive depression where we can
clearly identify the factors which lead to depression. However, there are also cases of
endogenous depression in which there is no apparent cause of negative events happening to an
individual, yet he or she feels depressed. This theory attempts to take into consideration of the
influence of cognitions or thoughts on the mood. Significantly related with Freud’s
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psychodynamic theory, depression may also happen due to the loss or also being unwanted by
a parent. As stated in the article, depression is “like a grief; it often occurs as a reaction to the
loss of an important relationship.” Such a case of depression may occur to students with
dysfunctional families, of which the parents are getting divorced or highly abusive. Depressed
individuals in this case may view themselves as worthless. The anger towards losing the loved
one may be directed to oneself, which leads to the decrease in one’s self esteem, thus an
increase of his or her vulnerability in experiencing depression in future.

For this case, there are some suggestions which may be put into action in order to
reduce the tendency for the individuals to become depressed in future. This is more like the
prevention step before the issue really occurs. The individual who loses his or her beloved one
should go through the mourning stage, and recall the memories from with the beloved one. This
may be done in order to make it easier for one to move on, and not to dwell on the past and
subsequently on the loss. However, this might not work well for individuals who rely on others
for their sense of self-esteem, with a great fear of abandonment.

Moving on to the cognitive approach, depression is associated with two theories, namely
Beck’s (1967) theory and learned helplessness. The first cognitive theory, I believe, may be very
relevant to look at in analysing the depression among students. Aaron Beck who studied people
with depression figured that there were three major keys to depression, which are the cognitive
triad, negative self schemas and errors in logic. The cognitive triad manifests itself in individuals
who have negative perception of the self, the world and the future. For instance, a depressed
student may feel that he or she is useless, the world is extremely difficult for him or her to get
through and the future seems very distant and hopeless. These three components interact with
each other and simultaneously, the depressed individuals become less competent in thinking,
memorising and problem solving as he or she keeps having negative thoughts. As an example,
a bright student may no longer be able to perform well in school like the way he or she used to
due to depression. Even when positive events happen in the individual’s life, he or she may
have a pessimistic view on them, for example thinking that they are just temporary and would
not even last for a while. As what we may infer from this theory, the way of how we think plays
an important role to our mental health.

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Learned helplessness by Martin Seligman (1974) proposed that depression occurs when
a person learns that even their struggle would not help them escape from the negative events
they experience. In his research using dogs, he divided the cage zone into two, namely the
shock area and the safe area. The shock area was where the floor is electrocuted. The dog was
first released to the safe area, in which it felt comfort. Then, it was transferred to the shock area.
Due to the suffering it received while the floor is electrocuted, it did try to escape but it failed due
to the restrain it received. However, even after the restrain was removed, meaning it now had its
opportunity to escape from the suffering, the dog did not attempt to do anything. At this point, it
was inferred that the subject had learned helplessness, assuming that the electric shocks were
inescapable after experiencing it for quite some time. The dog also showed symptoms of
depressed humans such as lethargy, passive in the face of stress and appetite loss. For
instance, if a student has struggled in academics for a while, but still is unable to achieve the
expected or desired results, this may lead to him or her thinking that he or she is just cognitively
incompetent. No matter how hard he or she tries, he or she will never make it, which may result
in students dropping out of school.

The next theory stems from the humanistic approach, particularly the Maslow’s hierarchy
of needs. I strongly believe that this may be the most relevant theory to be linked in the
Malaysian students’ case of depression, due to the examination based education system which
puts a great emphasis on the academic achievement more than anything else. Maslow (1962)
hypothesised that the most essential for a human is to achieve one’s self-actualisation, referring
to achieving one’s utmost potential. Looking at the issue from this theory, there are a few
causes which contribute to it. The first is the parents setting up a standard for the children to live
in, thus implying their self worth and they should be good at doing. For instance, parents may
blame students who did not do well in school, which subsequently develops a negative self
evaluation of the students. Secondly, the children will project an image of themselves in order to
please others, especially the parents. This results in them feeling angry at themselves for living
a fake lie. The third is an adult’s undermined self actualisation through unhappy relationships.
This means the person is denied his or her ability to give and receive love to the loved one.

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3.3 IMPACTS

Seligman (1973) referred depression as “the common cold in psychiatry” due to its
frequent diagnosis. However, depression is a psychological condition in which if it is not treated
immediately, it can be fatal. If it was not treated within two years, the mental health condition of
the person suffering from it may get worse. Based on the theories, there are many impacts of
depression. Firstly, they become socially inactive. They live themselves in a great desolation.
Feeling unaccepted in a community is a great indicator of depression. As a result, they will have
less and less friends, which may lead to them receiving lack of moral support from others. When
the depressed individuals are left to be on their own, particularly students in this case, they tend
to dwell in the negative thoughts. Besides that, they will also engage with negative behaviours,
inclined to self harming activities and suicidal attempts. Other than this, the physical impacts are
the feeling of lethargy, in which they feel passive and want to sleep most of the time, and also
the loss of appetite. Gradually, they will lose interest in anything they used to be highly fond of,
and even life seems a difficult ordeal just for them to get through with. They may also perceive
themselves as unworthy or less worthy than others, which will in turn impair their judgment of
self esteem. This is very harmful for students in particular. They tend to give up studying and
eventually on their life.

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3.4 RECOMMENDED SOLUTIONS

There are so many solutions in order to handle depression, as suggested for The
Guardian (2016). For depressed students, the most important step in order to address this
problem is by initiating on going for the treatment. We know ourselves better than every else
does. Therefore, if we ever feel like we are going through great episodes of slump, we should
always go and seek help from individuals who may be able to do so. For an instance, students
may go and talk to tutors. In any learning institution, there are counselling services provided.
Apart from that, students may also talk to peers. Students may ask for tips on how to handle
mental health. Seeking solace online means to look for support groups in which the depressed
individuals may look for support from individuals with similar problems. If you are an introverted
person who is shy to share your problems with others openly, this may work out well for you. By
opening up to someone, you are able to let out the negative energy and at the same time,
creating opportunities for you to find solutions to problems leading to your depression. The next
step is to reinforce positive thinking. Believing that small things are capable of making a big
difference is a good start. Look for inspirations and try to live your life differently from day to day.
This makes sure you have something to look forward throughout your life, preventing yourself
from having frequent lingering negative thoughts. The next recommendation as proposed by
The Guardian is to use apps which help you meditate. For instance, Emoodji allows putting on
emoticons on your pictures which helps you track your emotion progress from time to time.
Meditation apps such as Headspace also work for people to find peace. The last step is to
support others. Knowing that you are helping out others with similar problems will make you feel
better about yourself, and help reduce the depression you experience.

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4.0 PERSONAL REFLECTION

In my opinion, though it is common among students, depression is something very


serious. Everyone should be aware of it. Since the rate of depression among students globally
is increasing, it is important for us to identify the root or causes which lead to the problem.
Based on my own experiences, depression is not something that we can easily escape from. I
would be lying if I say that never once in my life have I never experienced it. I first found out that
I do have depression when I was 16. Back then, the pressure to excel in academics was quite
big. Therefore, I studied until late nights in order to perform well in exams. There was constant
fear and anxiety that I may not make it to the higher education because I was, and still am
probably, slow in terms of learning. My learning pace is pretty much lower than others, and even
my family members acknowledge that I am. The fact that I have to struggle more than others,
work twice as hard as others make me feel frustrated. Besides that, I would rather infer myself
as having depression with the behaviourist theory underlying it. I underwent a great sense of
rejection and being unwanted which leads to me having negative expectation of myself.
Sometimes, I do have suicidal thoughts, which were even frequent back then. However, I am
very glad to be born Muslim. Allah prohibited us from taking our own life. Honestly speaking, the
reason of why I am still alive up until today is because of Him. I aspire to become a child whose
parents may be proud of, and a servant that He dearly loves. Apart from strengthening my faith,
I also seek for online support. I have friends with similar problems across the world. Sometimes
we discuss on our problems and we exchange opinions and words which turn out to be
comforting for one another. Other than that, reading motivational quotes constantly also reminds
me to stay on the right track. They help occupy my mind with positive thoughts and lessen the
chance for me to indulge in negative thoughts which may lead to self harming and suicidal
attempts. Thus, I believe depression is a vital issue to be taken into great concern. If this is not
handled immediately especially among students, Malaysia will lose competencies of individuals
with good potentials of becoming the nation’s future leaders.

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5.0 CONCLUSION

In conclusion, depression is not a matter for us to take lightly. The symptoms are very
subtle. There are many factors which may lead to depression among students, and the most
prominent are the high expectation by parents, family members and oneself to perform well in
academics which consequently puts a lot of pressure on them. Due to the increasing rate of
depression among students in Malaysia, many parties should figure out initiatives to help these
students out. The authorities and learning institutions should extend out support and help for the
students with mental health issues. Some students may become more open to acknowledge
what they are facing. Parents, family members, teachers and peers should take note of the
changes in behaviour of students. Anyone can have depression. And it is important to take note
that in some severe cases, depression may lead to suicide. Again, depression is a serious
matter, not something for us to laugh at and merely brush off.

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REFERENCES

Bernama. (2016, September 12). News Straits Times. Retrieved September 22, 2016, from
http://www.nst.com.my/news/2016/09/172683/mental-health-malaysian-students-cause-worry-
health-ministry

Choon, K. T., Choon, W. N., Rashidatul, A. Z., Rammiya, V., & Kelvin, S. (2015).
Depression, Anxiety and Stress among Undergraduate Students: a cross-sectional study. Open
Journal of Epidemiology , 9.

Daily, T. S. (2016, September 12). Mental health of Malaysian students worrisome. Retrieved
December 22, 2016, from The Sun Daily: http://www.thesundaily.my/news/1967970

Digest, M. (2014, January 6). 20% of Children in Malaysia are Depressed. Retrieved
December 22, 2016, from Malaysian Digest: http://www.malaysiandigest.com/news/483487-20-
of-children-in-malaysia-are-depressed.html

Emmanuel, S. M. (2015, November 26). SPM student Hon Ye disappointed he would miss
scholarship, says kin | Malaysia | Malay Mail Online. Retrieved December 25, 2016, from Malay
Mail Online: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/spm-student-hon-ye-
disappointed-he-would-miss-scholarship-says-kin

Gil, N. (2016, March 3). Six things students can do to boost their mental health . Retrieved
December 22, 2016, from The Guardian:
https://www.theguardian.com/education/2016/mar/03/students-how-to-boost-mental-health-at-
university

McLeod, S. (2015). Psychological Theories of Depression. Retrieved December 22, 2016,


from Simply Psychology: http://www.simplypsychology.org/depression.html

Peterson, K. (2016, March 31). Link between rising tuition fees and depression amongst UK
students? Retrieved Decembe 22, 2016, from Save the Student!:
http://www.savethestudent.org/news/link-between-rising-tuition-fees-and-depression-amongst-
uk-students.html

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Students, G. (2015, December 14). Majority of students experience mental health issues,
says NUS survey . Retrieved December 22, 2016, from The Guardian:
https://www.theguardian.com/education/2015/dec/14/majority-of-students-experience-mental-
health-issues-says-nus-survey

Vanessa, E.-l. G., & Shafina, S. (2015, November 26). Stress, high expectations drive
students to death | Malaysia | Malay Mail Online. Retrieved December 25, 2016, from Malay
Mail Online: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/stress-high-expectations-drive-
students-to-death

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