Ironically, the problem is more acute today as treatment is better, Jamison said, because people are now attending college who would not have been able to do so before new treatments were available.

Jamison emphasized the ease of treatment: "Depression is terrible," she said. "Depression is far more common than most of us would like to believe. But depression is very treatable."

Research shows that the best treatment is a combination of medication and psychotherapy, Jamison said.

She presented some troubling statistics. A person commits suicide every 17 minutes, and one out of 10 high school students has attempted suicide in the past year. As a public health problem, she said she believes that suicide and depression need to be treated.

She closed by saying students should watch out for themselves and others.

"There's nothing more isolating than going it alone," she said. "If you think you have a problem, whatever it is, or you have a roommate or a friend, for goodness' sake, get help."

Jamison's talk was the keynote for a week of events run by the Provost's office called "Caring for the Harvard Community."