Depression is a mood disorder. It can impact your feelings, thoughts and daily functioning, leaving you sad, irritable or just plain uninterested in anything.

It’s one of the more common mental health conditions among college students. More than 40% of college students surveyed in the 2021 Healthy Minds Study screened for depression.

Why is depression so common among students? And what can anyone do about it?

Rhonda Lesley, Missouri State University Counseling Center director, explains to BestColleges.com.