THE EFFECTS OF DEPRESSION AND SUICIDE AMONG STUDENTS IN UMAK

Practical Research 1
Chapter 1: The Problem and Its Setting

With the soaring percentage of problems in our society, many students find
themselves in a severe depression that leads them to consider suicide as the only way to
solve the problem. The idea of suicide is commonly attached in the mindset of people
with depression. Suicide is usually known as a permanent solution to a temporary
problem that is why it is considered as an irrational desire to die. Having suicidal thoughts
is one of the symptoms and a sign of a person having severe depression.

Depression is relevant especially in the Philippines. The continuous cases of

depression confirmed that people especially teenagers are the ones who suffered a lot in
this illness. Students don't have enough idea on the source of this illness and the effects
of it in an individual with confirmed symptoms of depression.

This study will be conducted to determine the knowledge of students when it

comes to suicide and depression and the effects of it in an individual.

THE EFFECTS OF DEPRESSION AND SUICIDE AMONG STUDENTS IN UMAK

Mental Health Disorder is one of the reasons why people end their life in an instant
and die without proper consultation or medication from the medical practitioner. Suicide
is the result of anxiety and disorder. Students tend to think that suicide paves way for a
permanent solution in a temporary problem. Mental Health Disorders are associated with
persistent sadness, loss of interest, change of appetite, low self-esteem, poor
concentration and intermittent sleeping pattern.
 As a student and a researcher, we always observe our surroundings and we
observed that students tend to get lazy, sleepy and tired with their lessons in school.
Some students may change in a different manner. They easily get angry, panics and cry
a lot, stressed and many more.

Depression is a common mental disorder that presents with poor concentration,

low energy, feelings of guilt, depressed mood and low self-worth. While suicide is an act
of killing oneself. Suicide is considered as the leading cause of death worldwide.

Family history of depression is one of the significant risk factors. Students are more
likely to have depression especially when one of his/her family have this mental illness.
Depression is approximately 40% determined by genetics. Researchers found that it
doubles the risk of depression especially when a parent or grandparent have this kind of
illness.

Lifestyle risk factors play a role in causing depression. People have much more
personal control over lifestyle factors. Their way of living may affect their mental stability,
too much noise, dirty and crowded environment, disrespectful neighbors can also affect
the health of an individual. Having medicines to take and continuous medication may also
affect the individual. Substance use or alcohol and drugs is one of the risk factors because
some drugs contain anticonvulsants, stimulants, corticosteroids, statins, benzodiazepines
and beta-blockers. So, it's important to review and read any medication that we take.

A big factor in depression is stress. Stressful events happened in an individual may

cause severe depression. Painful events may overwhelm a person's ability to cope. High
levels of hormone cortisol are secreted during periods of stress. This may affect the
neurotransmitter serotonin and contribute to depression. This is followed by grief and loss.
Losing a loved one is a big impact on the health of individual. This results in loss of
interest, poor appetite and trouble in sleeping.

Imbalance in neurotransmitter or brain chemistry imbalance may also affect health.

This neurotransmitter are chemical substances that helps the areas of the brain to
communicate with each other. Short supply of neurotransmitter may lead to different
symptoms especially clinical depression.
 People with chronic illness, sleep disorder, thyroid condition, diabetes, multiple
sclerosis and cancer have the high percentage of depression rates. Poor nutrition and
poor diet may contribute to depression. Lack of vitamin and mineral deficiencies are
known to cause depression if not treated properly.

And based on our observations, some of the students are suffering from anxiety
and depression. Our study focused on our observation in one of the students in HSU. The
victim suffered from anxiety, sleeping disorder, crying without any reason due to family
conflicts and physical abuse.

It must be hard to experience this kind of situation. That's why many people are
taking actions in this kind of situations because we never know who the next victim will
be.

This research aims to know why suicide and depression relevant and its effects to
students in UMAK

III. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

1. What are the possible factors causing suicide and depression?

2. How does it affect an individual especially students?

3. How does society deals with this case?

4. Why are there more students affected than adults?

5. In what ways can suicide and depression affect the skills of students in their academic
performance?

IV. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK:

 1. What are the main causes of depression that often leads to suicide?

Figure 1: Shows the conceptual framework of the study.

a. Brain Chemistry
b. Inherited Traits
c. Hormones
d. Negative Thinking
Students affected by e. Childhood Trauma
depression f. Alcohol and Drug Misuse
g. Mental Health Conditions
h. Family Conflicts
i. Bullied
j. Academic Problems

Figure 1: Diagram showing the relationship between the variables in the study.

V. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY:

As a researcher, this study is significant for the students who experienced the fact
or state of being a victim or having been affected of Depression. To gain more knowledge
about Suicide and Depression. It is confirmed that some teenagers have committed
suicide due to lack of guidance and a feeling of being left out. Teenagers or students who
are experiencing depression are the one that will take the research to help solve their
problems and attain a better outcome in life.

VI. SCOPE AND DELIMITATION

 This study covers only those students of Higher School ng UMAK in University of
Makati. It will focus only on those individuals who were affected and currently
experiencing depression. To further know the effects of the said illness and the steps on
how to prevent and deal with it.

VII. DEFINITION OF TERMS

• Soaring- the act or process of increasing rapidly above the usual level

• Severe- very great or intense

• Mindset- the established set of attitudes held by someone

• Irrational- not logical or reasonable

• Intermittent- occurring at irregular intervals; not continuous or steady

• Genetics- the study of heredity and the variation of inherited characteristics

• Anticonvulsants- used to reduce the severity of epileptic fits or other convulsions

• Stimulants- a substance that raises levels of physiological or nervous activity in the

body

• Corticosteroids- any of a group of steroid hormones produced in the adrenal cortex

or made synthetically

• Statins- group of drugs that act to reduce levels of fats in the blood
• Benzodiazepines- class of heterocyclic organic compounds used as tranquilizers,
such as Librium and Valium

• Beta blockers- drugs that prevent the stimulation responsible for cardiac action

• Cortisol- helps control sugar levels, regulate metabolism and many more

• Neurotransmitter- chemical messengers

• Significant- sufficiently great or important to be worthy of attention