Student life brings its own stresses and pressures and it may not be “the best time of your life.” If you have been experiencing any symptoms of depression for a period of more than two weeks continuously it is advisable to seek treatment from your GP or student counselling department. Select your university from the list on the left to access information about the support available at your vet school.

Self Help

• Aerobic exercise can help to lift your mood.
• Spend time with friends. Isolation can increase depressed and paranoid thoughts and feelings. Try to talk to someone about how you are feeling.
• Do not sit in front of your work for hours when you are unable to think clearly. Depression often affects concentration and short term memory. These will gradually improve as your depression lifts. In the meantime, just do what you can, at times when you feel able to study.
• Speak to your academic or personal tutor or another member of staff to let them know about your difficulties and to make arrangements about exams or coursework.
• Try to resist the temptation to blank things out, or manage sleep disturbance, by using alcohol, drugs or tobacco. These may provide temporary relief but they do not resolve the depression and they may make things worse. 
• If you feel at risk of harming yourself, or if you are having ideas about suicide, speak to someone who can help you. Use your university resources or see the out of hours and crisis support section of this website .
• If you feel you do not want to speak to someone within your vet school, you may wish to approach other members of the University community such as the chaplain or the Student Union Welfare Officer.

Helping a Friend or Housemate

• Depression can distort a person’s inner world into a nightmare of negative thoughts and feelings. As a friend, you can help by listening and by reminding them of reality. It is not helpful to imply that someone experiencing depression should pull himself or herself together as this is precisely what he or she cannot do. 
• It can be difficult for someone with depression to ask for help as they often blame themselves for the way they are feeling. They may think they are being lazy or weak. Depression is a condition that responds to medical treatment. You can help by understanding this and helping your friend to understand this. If you can, encourage them to contact their GP or the University Counselling Service.
• People experiencing depression can be very difficult to be around. They may be irritable, frustrating and rejecting, particularly towards those closest to them. This may be a reflection of how hopeless, helpless and worthless they are feeling about themselves. Try not to be put off continuing your friendship by this behaviour. 
• Try to encourage them to keep up the activities they enjoyed prior to the depression, particularly exercise and social activities. 
• Do not encourage them to use alcohol or drugs to relax or forget their problems. These may bring temporary relief but they will not resolve the depression and may make it worse. 
• You need to take care of yourself and supporting a person with depression can be draining. Take time away or with other friends as well. If you are concerned about someone who is having problems then do not hesitate to contact one of the support services.
• If your friend is talking about suicide, either directly or in vague terms, take it seriously and encourage them to see their GP. If this is not possible, speak to someone who can intervene. See the out of hours and crisis support section of this website . If necessary, you can always take your friend to the Emergency Department of your local hospital.     

Helplines

• Vet Helpline offers a completely confidential empathetic listening service and are well acquainted with the problems that veterinary students face.
  Tel: 07659 811 118 (local call rates apply, 24hr rapid response answer phone).
  
  
• Veterinary Surgeons’ Health Support Programme is available to provide completely confidential professional help with alcohol, drug, addiction & mental health issues. 
  Tel: 07946 634220
  
  
• Saneline: National out-of-hours confidential telephone helpline offering practical information, crisis care and emotional support to anybody affected by mental health problems. The service is open every evening and receives tens of thousands of calls every year from service users, family members, carers and health professionals.                                                                                                                                  Email: sanemail@sane.org.uk for information and support via email specifically for 16-25 year olds 
  Tel: 0845 767 8000 (charged at local rates) Lines open 6pm to 11pm every day.
  Website: www.sane.org.uk
  
  
• Samaritans: Samaritans provides confidential non-judgemental support, 24 hours a day for people experiencing feelings of distress or despair, including those which could lead to suicide.
  Address: Chris, PO Box 90 90, Stirling, FK8 2SA
  Tel: 08457 90 90 90
  Website: www.samaritans.org
  
  Information resources, real student case histories and a discussion forum on student depression are available at www.studentdepression.co.uk

See also stress at university, student finances, relationships, bereavement and addictive and eating disorders.

Click here for a talk by Dr. Raj Persaud talk to students at RVC on the mental health of the veterinary profession.

Click here for David Bartram's Science of Happiness In-Practice article on the mental wellbeing of the profession and how to improve it using the science of positive psychology.

Guide to University counselling services and advice on problems and solutions to a wide range of issues from a student perspective taken from university websites across the country.