Book Description
There has been an increase in American college students reporting symptoms of depression over the last ten years. This review of literature represents an investigation of the correlates and possible interventions. Key terms were used in the search for literature, such as: "college" "college students", "depression", "stress", "anxiety", "therapy", "undergraduate" and "universities". The review revealed important data. First, the level of reported stress among college students has increased. Secondly, the level of anxiety among college students has also increased. Two interventions are compared, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Mindfulness Behavioral Therapy. Both forms of psychotherapy have been used with undergraduate students. The studies included in the review evinced almost unilateral support for Cognitive-Behavioral as well as Mindfulness-Based therapies. The Cognitive-Behavioral therapy techniques allowed students to replace unhealthy cognitions and behaviors for healthier ones. The mindfulness-based therapy allowed students to learn techniques to become more grounded in the present moment. Some of the studies cited also included interpersonal-based therapy, which also showed positive results. These interventions helped college students attenuate their symptoms of depression and anxiety, and allowed them to cope better with the demands of college life. This is further expanded upon in the third chapter of the paper. These findings bear great relevance to the field of social work. As clinicians, social workers are directly involved in the ultimate delivery of these interventions to the populations who are suffering from depression, anxiety or stress. Therefore, the more clinicians become trained in these therapies, the better they can serve the undergraduate population.
