After a very intense NFL playoff season and the chance for an all-Pennsylvania Super Bowl dashed last weekend with the Pittsburgh Steelers' loss to the New England Patriots, some fans are still sorting out their emotions -- and some may even show signs of depression.

Jackie Scott (freshman-division of undergraduate studies), a Steelers fan, said she was without a doubt upset with the team's loss Jan. 23.

"We have been trying for 'one for the thumb,' " she said, referring to the fact that the Steelers have won four Super Bowls.

Scott said she is not depressed, but disappointed.

"I am still upset because Super Bowl Sunday won't be the same without the Steelers, but at least one Pennsylvania team is represented," she said.

Meanwhile, devout Philadelphia Eagles fans like Joshua Rios (freshman-science) are experiencing the other end of the emotional spectrum.

"I was relieved to win after three years," Rios said.

Rios, a Philadelphia native who is excited about watching his team play in the Super Bowl on Sunday, said jokingly that he might have to undergo electroshock therapy to cure his "depression" if the Eagles lose to the Patriots.

"I am pretty sure I would get over it if they lost," he said, although he added that he doesn't want to think of the possibility.

Dave Yukelson, sports psychologist at Penn State's Morgan Academic Support Center for Student-Athletes, said that fans can feel down after a loss, but that doesn't necessarily mean they are depressed. "Fans get wrapped up in their emotions," he said.

Dr. Dennis Heitzman, director of Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), said that for a person with a predisposition toward depression, experiencing a great disappointment -- such as a beloved team's loss -- could trigger a depressive state.

However, he said that fans will most often feel transient disappointment but not depression.

"No one has been prescribed at CAPS for services citing disappointment or depression by a football game," he said.

Part of being a fan is investing emotionally and identifying with that particular team, but then the emotional fallout comes with a loss, Heitzman said.

Yukelson said that fans invest so much in getting to the Super Bowl that they sometimes forget the rest of the season that it took to get to the playoffs.

"People live the loss as opposed to embrace the journey," he said.

Steelers fan Matt Yeamans (freshman-mechanical engineering) said he is still mad about the loss but supports the team and is ready for the next season.

"It would have been nice to go to the Super Bowl, but we still had an awesome season," he said.

There is nothing wrong with acknowledging frustration, but fans should look at the positive aspects, Yukelson said.

Steelers fans should look forward to next year, Heitzman said. "There is always another day," he said.

Eagles fans should have high expectations, but they shouldn't underestimate the world-champion Patriots, Yulkeson said. They also shouldn't focus on previous losses, he said.

"Don't let the ghosts of the past haunt you at the moment at hand. It's about the moment," he said.