After identifying issues regarding mental health services at Duke, senior Sean Woytowitz created a thesis this semester urging Duke to improve its mental health services.
The thesis, titled “Comparing Experiences with Mental Health Issues to Perceptions of their Prevalence,” features data Woytowitz collected through an experience and perception survey. The responses revealed that Duke students experience major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder at higher rates than similar-aged Americans. Additionally, the study identified differences in prevalence of mental illness based on major, income, social circle size and religion, and it recognized some misconceptions Duke students hold.
“[Duke] can use these findings to figure out who they need to help and actually actively help them,” Woytowitz said.
His research indicated that more non-STEM majors reported having been treated for anxiety than STEM majors.
In addition, a higher proportion of Duke students with smaller social circles were reported to meet major depressive disorder criteria. Students with family incomes of $85,000 or less were also more likely to meet criteria for major depressive disorder.
Woytowitz felt Duke should “market services of [Counseling and Psychological Services] and Duke Reach … to students from [these] demographics groups.”
“Even if it can help two students there, it is worth it,” Woytowitz said.
The thesis’ results also showed surprising misconceptions Duke students held about their peers. Students perceived anxiety to be a greater issue than depression, while study results indicated no significant difference.
Students, including Woytowitz, also tended to overestimate the prevalence of generalized anxiety disorder in the undergraduate population. Going into the study, Woytowitz expected students who are involved in two or fewer school activities to face higher rates of major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder, while his results show no significant difference.
While many students did not have an accurate perception of mental health at Duke, students who noted that they had previously met criteria for generalized anxiety disorder and/or major depressive disorder were able to “predict students’ experiences with depression and anxiety” better than students who had not met that criteria in college.
The thesis states that the awareness of these students suggests that they “could serve [as] an effective role in the treatment of their peers and that organizations such as Duke’s Peer Support program should be applauded and supported.”
Woytowitz hopes that Duke will make changes as a result of his research and insists that the study should be repeated every four years at Duke. He further suggests that in the future the survey be expanded to include more mental disorders and other universities in North Carolina.
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