Yuan is a recent U of T graduate currently working at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. She is involved in the Blue Sky Project, a project examining depression in young adults. Creating awareness of Blue Sky Project is a challenging task, but she is hoping to reach out to post-secondary students who may be experiencing symptoms of depression.

Rates of depression among university students are rising, and are now higher than in the general public. A recent survey conducted by the American College Health Association found that a staggering 45% of university students reported clinical levels of depression symptoms. Suicide is now the second leading cause of death among university students.

It is therefore important to intervene as early as possible. Young people with depression have an increased risk of academic difficulties, school drop-out, disrupted relationships with family and friends, and medical problems that persist into later adulthood. An early intervention may help prevent what can be a lifelong pattern of illness.

A new study led by Queen’s University scientist Dr. Kate Harkness, in collaboration with scientists at CAMH, seeks to examine the factors that cause the very first onset of depression in young adulthood. This study is called Blue Sky Project. It is the first study to focus specifically on the very first episode of the illness to uncover its initial causes. This study is vital because if scientists can understand what causes the disorder in the first place, this will help in the early identification and treatment of young people at risk. Unfortunately, the vast majority of young people on their first onset of depression do not receive treatment of any kind.

The goal of Blue Sky Project is to raise awareness of depression among university students and to provide expert pharmacological treatment with close individual monitoring by a psychiatrist. Participants will receive a methodologically rigorous assessment and may also receive close follow-up care for at least 18 months. A detailed write-up of the assessment results can also be provided for the participant.

If you’re between the ages of 18-29, live within the Greater Toronto Area, and think you may be depressed, you can see if you’re eligible to partake in Blue Sky Project. There’s no wait list and appropriate costs will be covered. They will do what they can to assist in some way every person who contacts them.

If this sounds like something that may be helpful for you or someone you know, call 416-979-4294 or email us at [email protected].

“This research holds promise for fully understanding the causes of depression, thus opening the door to the development of even more effective pharmacological and psychological treatments.” -Dr. Kate Harkness

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 19th, 2007 at 3:00 pm and is filed under Athletics & Health, Guest Blogger. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.