What contributes to the level of depression in college students?

Depression and mental health struggles are a big issue that should be spoken out about, with groups advocating for more openess towards struggles of individuals in our communities, especially young adults, who often struggle under the guise of the economy.

Multiple factors contribute to students feeling depressed, on top of usually not getting a proper diagnosis. In fact, in the Aware National Survey 2024, 1 in 10 respondents under 25 reported experiencing depression without an official diagnosis. 

According to the Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey, in 2023, fifty per cent of adults between the ages of 18 and 24 revealed having symptoms of anxiety and depression, compared to roughly one-third of all adults. Since then, younger adults have shown higher rates than older age groups.

However, statistics for 2024 have shown a significant drop in students reporting depression or anxiety. These statistics pass from 23% in 2022, 20% in 2023, to 19% in 2024 in cases of severe depression. In 2024, 38% of people had moderate depression symptoms, down from 44% in 2022 and 42% in 2023. 

Despite these improvements, mental health challenges remain prevalent. Nearly 60% of students report experiencing anxiety or depression, with loneliness identified as a major contributor. Students who feel lonely are over four times more likely to experience severe psychological distress.

In 2024, over 487,792 prescriptions for anti-depression medications  were issued to adults aged 18 and older in Ireland. This includes prescriptions under the General Medical Service (GMS) scheme, Drugs Payment Scheme (DPS), and Long-Term Illness (LTI) scheme. 

There have also been cases of women being more likely to come forward about their struggles and tell their parents, family and friends what they are feeling or that they have self-harmed, rather than male counterparts, who were far more likely to sit in silence and struggle alone.  

To learn more about this issue, we’ve decided to examine the students at Technological University Dublin to see if there is a resonance between the statistics released by UCD and people’s college experiences.

Scott Walsh, a second year student, said: “I think one of the main things leading to a rise in depression in students is the amount of work load we are given and unrealistic deadlines or multiple assignments being due on the same day. These things can easily take over our lives and keeps us strapped to their desks for hours at a time trying to complete as many as they can and as quick as they can, leaving no time to enjoy other aspects of life.”

Students who work part-time face additional challenges. Those working more than 15 hours per week often struggle to balance academic work, job commitments, and social life, leading to heightened stress levels.  

Joelle Müller, a third year student said, “The lack of balance between working part-time, assignment work, studying, and trying to have some sort of social life with friends is exhausting. You never have time because you’re working to pay your rent, your spare time is spent on doing assignments and studying and so you have no time for socialing,”

_{^{This shows the different spending habits of male and female students in college. Photo via ResearchGate}}

Financial stress is another major factor affecting students’ mental health. The average student monthly salary is €1,122. On average, the monthly budget for college students was €1,340. This means the average college student is spending more than they earn. High rent costs exacerbate this issue, with student accommodation going up to about €469 per week on average and private apartments costing even more.  

“It’s an agonizing repetitive cycle. I don’t have any motivation anymore. I don’t want to do anything because I don’t have the energy. I’d say, yeah, I am pretty depressed, and it took me a while to come to terms with it. Having very little money after I’ve paid off all my bills doesn’t help either, because I have no money to see my mates, and nowadays you need money to do anything.” continued Müller. 

Out of the 15 students interviewed, most, if not all, thought that the above issues caused them all significant stress, but the one that caused them the most embarrassment was struggles with their finances and the pressures and limitations that this has on their social life as well as their monthly spending.

Besides the financial and academic pressure, other factors can explain these high numbers of depression, such as social isolation, poor eating habits, lack of exercise, unhealthy sleep patterns, and substance abuse. 

To address this issue, the Irish government has increased mental health funding, which reached a record €1.5 billion in Budget 2025, a 44% increase since the policy’s launch in 2020. This is part of a broader program called “Sharing the Vision: A Mental Health Policy for Everyone”, which should be developed between 2025 and 2027.