Cycling Through the Blues: The Impact of Systemic External Stressors on Student Mental States and Symptoms of Depression

This study seeks to find if the structure of the demands of the Stanford quarter system impacts the
levels of depression reported in its student body. That is, can the external and systemic stressors
at Stanford University be linked to levels of depressive symptoms? I propose that depressive
symptoms may be linked to external stresses exerted on the student in the form of school and
extracurricular time commitments, as well as the occurrence of midterms, exams, and other
major points of grading or evaluation. I analyze self-reported time-series data on depressive
symptoms and external stressors from a random sample of thirty-seven Stanford University
students in the spring quarter of the 2008-2009 academic year. Within the limitations of the
study, results indicate that depressive symptoms have a strong relationship to the quarterly
structure and tend to vary not with time constraints but with midterms and major assignments.
Depressive symptoms peak sharply around the time of midterms. Further, Stanford
undergraduates are at baseline remarkably more prone to depressive symptoms than the
national average. These conclusions suggest that depressive symptoms may be linked to the
structure of the quarter system due to the condensed occurrences of major assignments,
particularly when considered in relationship to the campus culture of excellence and
achievement.