Depression A Serious Health Concern, Not Boon to Creativity

To the editors:

By conflating depression with angst in her comment “Depressed?” (Mar. 20), Lucy Caldwell told Harvard students dealing with depression that they should relish their misery and use it productively. This is akin to telling someone with a severely debilitating medical condition to enjoy it, because lots of people do their best work when sick.

Depression is a real condition and responds well to treatment in 80 percent of people who seek treatment. Students who feel depressed (and not just ambitious), experience feelings of sadness or emptiness all the time, feel diminished pleasure in things that used to make them happy, have difficulty getting out of bed or going to class, feel worthless or excessively guilty, experience sleep disturbances or appetite changes, cannot to concentrate, or have suicidal thoughts, should consider seeking help at University Health Services, Bureau of Study Counsel, or Room 13.

There is a difference between depression and the will to achieve that Harvard students feel. According to the National College Health Assessment in 2003, depression is the fourth largest health problem affecting college students, afflicting 18.8 percent of college students, and is the top health impediment to students’ academic performance for 14.6 percent of college students. 10.3 percent of college students seriously considered attempting suicide in 2003.

Look around section: approximately every fifth student has dealt with depression in the last year and at least one or two people in your section probably seriously considered attempting suicide. Don’t do a disservice to the Harvard community by suggesting depression is necessary for creativity—there is a difference between frustration over an exciting project and not being able to get out of bed in the morning because you feel worthless.



JUDY Z. HERBSTMAN ‘07

March 20, 2006