counseling and psychological services

Natalia Velásquez, M.S., Outreach Coordinator | Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS)

Depression is one of the most prevalent mental health conditions in the United States, affecting approximately 14.8 million adults every year. It is a common, yet serious, mood disorder that can affect one’s thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.

Depression that is left untreated can result in severe functional impairments that may interfere with one’s ability to adequately engage in everyday life, such as school, work, socialization, and even taking care of oneself. Although the prevalence of depression is relatively high, approximately 35% of individuals who experience depression do not receive treatment, even though there are many evidenced-based treatments that can help to improve depressive symptoms and emotional well-being.

Up to 80% of individuals who are treated for depression show an improvement in their symptoms generally within four to six weeks of beginning treatment. Depression is highly treatable with counseling, medication, and lifestyle changes, such as exercise, nutrition, sleep, social support, and stress reduction.

National Depression Screening Day is celebrated in October during Mental Illness Awareness Week to increase awareness and education on depression and its effective treatments, to offer individuals the opportunity to engage in screening for depression, and to connect those in need of mental health treatment to helpful services and resources. Just like any other illness (e.g., heart disease, diabetes, etc.), health screenings can provide helpful information regarding the first signs of a serious illness and can guide individuals to receive professional consultation and treatment, if needed.

If you, or someone you know, are experiencing any of the following symptoms, please consider taking the free depression screener available on the Florida Tech CAPS website at: https://screening.mentalhealthscreening.org/floridatech

Persistent sad or “empty” mood
Loss of interest or pleasure in activities once enjoyed
Fatigue or loss of energy
Sleeping too much or too little
Reduced appetite and weight loss, or increased appetite and weight gain
Restlessness or irritability
Difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions
Thoughts of death or suicide

The depression screening will consist of answering a brief questionnaire about yourself and your thoughts/feelings, and then receiving an explanation about your mood and behaviors, as well as gaining access to informational materials about what you can do to help yourself and how to get help from a professional. For additional information on depression, please visit the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) websites.

NIMH: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/depression/index.shtml

SAMHSA: https://www.samhsa.gov/data/all-reports?keys=Depression&sort_bef_combine=search_api_relevance+DESC

CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/campaign/tips/diseases/depression-anxiety.html

If you find yourself in need of professional help after taking the screener, please reach out for help! Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) is your student counseling center and we are here for you! CAPS provide a variety of mental health and wellness services to assist you and other students in successfully reaching personal, academic, and career goals. Please take a moment to visit our website: https://www.fit.edu/counseling-and-psychological-services/), which includes information on how to request services, as well as many other resources for psychological health and well-being. Our services are highly utilized and encouraged, so that you can be the healthiest Florida Tech Panther you can be!

Natalia Velásquez, M.S., Outreach Coordinator || Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS)

According to the Centers for Disease Control, the technical definition of social, or physical, distancing is “keeping a safe space (e.g., six feet) between yourself and other people who are not from your household in both indoor and outdoor spaces.” However, what does “social distancing” mean to social beings like us, especially when social support has been repeatedly proven to be such a critical resource for our psychological health? What can social distancing even look like so that we can balance not only the physical health and safety of ourselves and others, but also for our psychological health and well-being?

Many college students have likely moved from their childhood homes to a university where they may have expected to create relationships with faculty, friends, peers, colleagues, partners, etc. Whether these social connections were anticipated to be created during classroom learning, walks through the botanical gardens; soccer games; lunch breaks at PDH; fraternity/sorority gatherings; or other academic, social, or service organizations, all of us desire, and likely need, meaningful doses of social connection and support in our lives.

So how do we create meaningful relationships at a “social distance,” so that we can prioritize safety and health while also providing space for insightful conversations, entertainment, joy, laughter, and love?

During times like these, creativity is your best friend, so have fun with it! Maybe plan a weekend game night with friends, when classes have paused and self-care is needed. Organize a Zoom yoga session with classmates and screenshare a YouTube video that the group can follow along. Call your close family member or friend once a week while taking a walk “together” (you can walk through the botanical gardens and they can choose their favorite spot). Have a spaced-out beach date where everyone brings a snack and you decompress by the waves. There are also multitudes of multiplayer games (e.g., Jackbox, Animal Crossing, COD) that can be played online via Zoom, as well as socially distanced activities that can be enjoyed outside such as park walks, beach hangouts, and fitness challenges.

Please consider these questions as you organize socially distanced activities:

Are you and your family/friends comfortable being physically together while at a distance? If not, consider virtual activities!
What activities do you typically like? Try and make it distance friendly or virtual!
How can you make this activity socially distanced friendly? Be creative!

If you find yourself having significant difficulties during your time at Florida Tech, please remember your student counseling center as we are here for you! CAPS provides a variety of mental health and wellness services to assist you and other students in successfully reaching personal, academic, and career goals. Please take a moment to visit our website: https://www.fit.edu/counseling-and-psychological-services/, which includes information on how to request services, as well as many other resources for emotional health and well-being. Our services are highly utilized and encouraged, so that you can be the healthiest Florida Tech Panther you can be!