Many U.S. College Students Feel Stressed: Survey

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A new survey of American college students found that 85 percent said they've felt stressed in their daily lives in recent months, 42 percent said they felt down, depressed or hopeless several days during the previous two weeks, and 13 percent appeared to be at risk for at least mild depression.

Major causes of stress included concerns about school work, grades, relationships and money, according to the Associated Press-mtvU poll of 2,240 undergraduate students, ages 18 to 24, at 40 colleges.

Among the other findings:

* 11 percent of respondents said they'd had thoughts about hurting themselves or that they'd be better off dead.
* 9 percent of students were at risk of moderate to severe depression.
* Among students with a parent who had lost a job during the school year, almost a quarter showed signs of at least mild depression -- more than twice the percentage of students who didn't have a parent who'd lost a job. The survey also found that 13 percent of students with a parent who'd lost a job had seriously considered suicide, compared with 5 percent of students who didn't have a parent who'd lost a job.
* More than 50 percent of students who said they'd seriously considered suicide at some point in the previous year hadn't received any counseling or treatment.
* Nearly half of students diagnosed with at least moderate symptoms of depression weren't familiar with counseling resources on campus.
* 84 percent of respondents said they'd know where to turn for help if they experienced serious emotional distress or had thoughts about hurting themselves. Most said they'd go first to friends or family, while 20 percent said they'd use school counseling.