What is Post-Grad Depression?

Blog by Guest Author: Academic Underdogs

Graduating from university is undoubtedly a tremendous achievement, an occasion that needs to be celebrated and most definitely remembered.

Ultimately, a great sense of freedom and liberty comes when graduating; assessments and examinations have come to a close, essay deadlines are a memory of the past, and you feel rather well-equipped with the necessary skills for a decent job.

But as you say goodbye to your course and your student flat in Leeds or Newcastle, student debt eventually crops up, and finding your dream job is undeniably a tricky and lengthy process.

Rejections from job applications pile up, you’ve been separated from your ‘uni-family’, probably living with your parents, and you begin to accept that the student days are officially over.

This is, of course, a temporary phase that has a light at the end of the tunnel: starting a career, maybe moving to a nearby area and meeting lots more people!

However, this does not diminish the struggle that many students face in reaching where they want to be. If you’re worried about what comes next, our site teams are always on hand to have a chat – we care about your well-being and are happy to offer you all the advice we can give you.

So What Is Post Graduate Depression? And Is It Legitimate?

Reality certainly hits post-graduation, and many graduates begin to develop rather bleak emotions and a hefty amount of stress, in other words, ‘post-graduate depression’, also known as ‘graduation depression’. But what is post-grad depression exactly?

While post-graduate depression is certainly not listed as an official mental health condition, it certainly carries a great amount of resonance, reliability and validity, yet is left unaddressed. Graduates can be left feeling isolated, with all their efforts and achievements being ignored and rather unacknowledged.

For example, on average, they claim to be experiencing a decline in mental wellbeing, while 40% describe themselves as ‘socially isolated’, and 44% believe their peers to be more successful than themselves after graduation.

Post-graduate depression is evidently a prominent, great phenomenon, and most definitely legitimate, regardless of its unaddressed disposition. The vast majority of graduates – both past and present – can resonate with the post-graduate depression that bubbles under the surface, despite the ‘put-together’ front some may portray.

So Is Post Graduate Depression Permanent? Is It Curable?

Nothing is permanent, and post-graduate depression is certainly no exception. Like with any big change coming to an end, such as university, time is required to adapt to the new, as well as the closing of the old.

Graduation contains a great amount of uncertainty, whether or not you have a definite plan or not. The only way to escape post-graduate depression is to seek new and bright opportunities.

This does not necessarily have to be work-related; it can be anything from travelling to undertaking a new hobby. It is important to remember that graduating is an immense achievement, and taking a break is far from a crime.

Not following the traditional narrative of graduating from university and landing a well-paid job is completely commendable and a great option. Your well-being and happiness are the biggest priority, regardless of what convention and traditional post-graduate routes may portray to you.

Time is on your side. Ultimately, pain, stress, and upset are a debt paid off with time. It is important to recall the achievement of graduation and to have faith in the straightforward fact that nothing is permanent and things are constantly changing. Following your own graduate narrative is fundamental, not the conventional narrative graduates repeatedly face.

If you are suffering from post-graduate depression, please do not feel as though your feelings are invalid. If you are struggling, there are many avenues available to help and support you:

https://www.samaritans.org/

https://youngminds.org.uk/

https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/

https://www.mind.org.uk/

https://www.studentminds.org.uk/

https://targetjobs.co.uk/careers-advice/career-planning/473996-help-im-struggling-to-find-a-job-after-graduation

For more advice about University, navigating life after graduation, and useful study tips, check out Academic Underdogs.