College brings many changes to a young teenager. Moving away from your parents and being alone is the most important and sometimes the scariest step. This change for students can sometimes be very dramatic and can often lead to depression. An article written by Michael Kerr (2012) reports that one in four college students suffer from some sort of mental illness, with depression being the most common. It also states that 44 percent of American students report having symptoms of depression. College is supposed to be a time of growth, learning, and self-discovery. What factors contribute to the rates of depression observed among students? Research by Nyer and colleagues (2013) suggests that sleep disturbances and anxiety contribute to depression-like symptoms in college students. Another study by Xueting, Hong, Bin, and Taisheng (2013) found that students who tried to achieve perfect grades in their studies found themselves falling short of their expectations, which triggered symptoms of depression. Various distractions, academic or financial difficulties, substance abuse, lack of sleep, and unstable friendships are additional risk factors for depression (Xueting, 2013). If left untreated, students often resort to suicide as a way out of depression. (Wilcox, 2013)Mental health professionals classify depression as a disorder that affects a person's thoughts and feelings. “At some point in their lives, depression affects 17% of American adults.” (Myers, 2006 p. 621) In 2000, 76% of college students felt “overwhelmed” and 22% were unable to function because of their depression (American College Health Association, 2001). Major depressive disorder is characterized by... middle of article ...... g on suicide were more likely to attempt suicide than those who had previously attempted suicide. This finding suggests that mental health professionals cannot assume that people who think more about suicide are at higher risk. Additionally, professionals cannot assume that those who have a single suicidal thought are safer than those who think about suicide more often. From the research mentioned above, it can be seen that depression is prevalent among college students. Adjusting to university life, keeping up with studies, lack of sleep and substance abuse are all factors that contribute to depression among students. When left untreated or if a person seeks help for their depression, they may turn to suicide to cope with the pain that depression causes them. Proper counseling and screening for students can help reduce student depression and suicide.