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Depression is a psychological disorder that not only gravely affects the state of mind of a person but also the physical body. It is characterised by behavioural changes such as differing intensities of sadness, feelings of hopelessness, low self-worth and loss of interests (“A Definition of Depression”, 2007, para. 1). Depression is a major problem among youths and the number of occurrences has been growing in recent years. Kuabara, Van Voorhees, Gollan and Alexander (2007) support this claim by citing that youths have the “highest incidence and cumulative prevalence of depression” and further reiterate that “the risk of depression in this age group [youths] has increased significantly in the last half century” (para. 1). This is based on the evidence found by Kessler and Walters (1998), through a survey to find out about the prevalence of depression among adolescents. Results showed that there is an increase in occurrences of depression in youths (p. 8). In Singapore, adolescents undergo immerse pressure having to juggle the different aspects of their life, including education which may be too much to handle and thus lead to depression.
I chose to write about youths with depression as I feel that the severity of this issue is often overlooked and it needs to be taken more seriously. This is an uprising problem among youths today, which affects their mental health and well-being. My friend used to suffer from depression and I did not know how to help her overcome this mental illness at that point of time. Therefore, I am interested in finding out more about these youths, in order to reach out them and understand them better.
One of the assumptions I have about youths with depression is that they are suicidal. According to The Ne...
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...ander, G.C. (2007, June). A qualitative exploration of depression in emerging adulthood: disorder, development, and social context. Science Direct. Retrieved May 16, 2014, from http://www.sciencedirect.com.libwww3.np.edu.sg/science/article/pii/S016383430700 062X
Mark Walters (2009). The Violent Tendencies of Depression. DIME Consultants Inc. Retrieved May 17, 2014 from http://www.dime-co.com/health/The-Violent- Tendencies-Of-Depression-_printer.shtml
Samaritans of Singapore (2010). About SOS. Retrieved May 19, 2014 from http://www.samaritans.org.sg/about.htm
The Link between Depression and Suicide (2003). Suicide. Retrieved May 17, 2014, from http://thebrain.mcgill.ca/flash/capsules/pdf_articles/link_depression_suicide.pdf
Health Promotion Board (2013). Understanding Depression. Retrieved May 18, 2014, from http://www.hpb.gov.sg/HOPPortal/health-article/10210
As reported by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), depression occurs in over 26% of adolescents and can lead to morbidity, mortality, and social problems that can last into adulthood (SCREENING FOR DEPRESSION IN ADOLESCENTS -- RISKS AND BENEFITS, 2015). Signs of adolescent depression can sometimes be different than adults, and possibly harder to identify. It is most often identified as an increase in negative behaviors or somatic complaints such as an upset stomach (SCREENING FOR DEPRESSION IN ADOLESCENTS -- RISKS AND BENEFITS, 2015). Behavioral changes that are associated with adolescent depression include an increase in irritability, tantrums, anger outbursts, decrease in school performance, and social isolation (SCREENING
Hysinger Eb, Catlahan St, Caples Tl, et al.: “Suicidal Behavior Differs Among Early and Late Adolescents Treated with Antidepressant Agents.” Pediatrics 2011; 128(3): 447-454. Email: william.cooper@vanderbilt.edu
People constantly overlook the severity of depression, more importantly, major teen depression, which presents a legitimate obstacle in society. The intensity of teen depression results from society’s general lack of acknowledgement of the rising affair. In 2012, “28.5% of teens were depressed” and 15.8% of teens contemplated the option of suicide (Vidourek 1 par. 1), due to their major depression going unnoticed or untreated for. Even teenagers themselves often ignore their depression or remain in denial because neither them nor anyone else recognizes the signs. “A sudden change in behavior is a main sign of someone being depressed, which could lead to having suicidal thoughts,” stated Pam Farkas, a clinical social worker in California (Aguilar 1 par. 8). The warning signs and risk factors of teen depression include behavioral issues, social withdrawal, and inadequate interest in activities (Adolescents and Clinical Depression 2 par. 3), yet the unawareness of these signs does not allow professional medical attention to intercede. Deaths, illnesses, rejection, relationship issues, and disappointment present passages down the negative path of teen depression, but treatments, such as psychotherapy, intervention programs, and antidepressants express ways to subdue this major problem. Knowledge of the increasing dilemma needs to circulate, in order to promote stable teen lives in the present and future world. Understanding major teen depression, the events and incidents that lead to depression, and how to overcome the problem will lead to a decrease in major teen depression and its growing issue in society.
Teenage Depression. Everywhere you look these two words appear together as one, in newspapers and magazines, as well as in scholarly reports. Teenage depression is one of today's "hot topics" this among other teenage mental health problems, has been brought to the forefront of public consciousness in recent years after several incidents involving school shootings (CQ 595). The environment that teens grow up in today is less supportive and more demanding than it was twenty years ago. Not only are the numbers of depressed teens rising, but children are also being diagnosed at younger and younger ages. Studies have found that, "There is an estimated 1.5-3 million American children and adolescents who suffer from depression, a condition unrecognized in children until about 20 years ago" (CQR 595). This increase in depression is due to social factors that teenagers have to deal with everyday. A recent study found that, "About five percent of teenagers have major depression at any one time. Depression can be very impairing, not only for the affected teen, but also for his or her family-and too often, if not addressed, depression can lead to substance abuse or more tragic events" (NAMI.org). Gender roles and other societal factors including the pressures on girls to look and act a certain way, the pressures on boys to suppress their emotions and put on a tough front and the pressures on both sexes to do well in school and succeed, all contribute to depression in teens today. Depression is a growing problem which crosses gender lines and one that needs to be dealt with with more than just medication.
Depression is the most common mental health problem in the United States. It affects people of all ages, races and economic backgrounds. In adolescents, as many as one in eight teens suffers with this condition. It can interfere with day-to-day functioning. Many times adolescents feel lost or hopeless and may not know who to turn to for help. This therapeutic environment uses specific objectives and goals to give adolescents the tools and skills they need to cope and function more successfully. This is a positive, caring environment so that each member will feel ready to share and cope with their problems. Currently, there is a lack of support and resources for adolescents with this mental illness and this group fulfills that need. This group is different from other groups of this nature, as members are carefully screened to make sure only those who can truly benefit from it are included.
for that reason. Children tend to express their sadness by behavioral changes, poor Recognizing the symptoms and early signs of childhood depression, seeking diagnosis and treatment and learning to live with and accept the disorder and still live for yourself are all important steps for knowledgeable parents.
Structural-functional views show the importance of being connected to friends and family to remain mentally happy and healthy. Symbolic-interaction shows us that we need to be proactive when it comes to youth and bullying and make sure that there is absolutely no tolerance for this behavior, because youth take to heart and internalize what others think about them. The social conflict perspective educates us on the importance that teens place on money and power and places socioeconomic youth at risk for many behaviors that can be linked to suicide and depression. Looking at teen depression and suicide through different sociological perspective provides an awareness and gives us valuable information that should be shared to make a difference in teen depression and suicide
Depression is an extremely delicate topic. In the novels “13 Reasons Why” by Jay Asher and “The Perks of Being A Wallflower” by Stephan Chbosky do an outstanding job hitting the topic depression. Both novels cover depression in its own style. In one, someone commits suicide while on the contrary, the other person surpasses depression. Support systems are vital during depression, lack of communication as well as self-expression all lead to an easy way out. Anyone who is suffering from depression should have at least one confident to be able to communicate to. Depression is a heavy weighed disease in which one needs all the support one can get. A voice is needed as well, in which many people are scared of having. In each of the novels each fictional
twenty-four, experience a serious level of depression. Women are generally the most commonly affected among young people. A depressed teen is more likely to get into various forms of trouble such as rebellion, truancy...
Teenage depression is a growing problem in today's society and is often a major contributing factor for a multitude of adolescent problems. The statistics about teenage runaways, alcoholism, drug problems, pregnancy, eating disorders, and suicide are alarming. Even more startling are the individual stories behind these statistics because the young people involved come from all communities, all economic levels, and all home situations-anyone's family. The common link is often depression. For the individuals experiencing this crisis, the statistics become relatively meaningless. The difficult passage into adolescence and early adulthood can leave lasting scars on the lives and psyches of an entire generation of young men and women. There is growing realization that teenage depression can be life- changing, even life threatening.
Firstly, the factor which could lead youth to suicide is depression, which is the major cause of suicide (Suicide Prevention Resource Center, 2011). Depression can be classified as a mood disorder in medical field. According to Cutler, Glaeser, & Norberg (2001), depression can occur in two main facts, that are the variable feeling of people and the financial sources problem, which could classified as the origin of depression. According to (Cutler et al., 2001), youth who commit suicide are intended to indicate the others that they are frustrate, or worse is aim to punish others for their unhappiness. In this sense, youths are more emotional compared to others and easy to stick in negative thinking of youths would drive them to higher risk of suicide. On the other hand, the youth does not have an independent financial source. Most of them are getting money from their parents or student loans. In the situation, youths are still at the point in life where their consumption exceeds their net income (Cutler et al., 2001). Thus, youths are struggling to ful...
The feelings of helplessness and hopelessness that accompany depression can fuel a downward spiral of health and self-esteem, which can have potentially deadly results: In one study of teenage suicides, 60 to 70 percent of the teenagers had been diagnosed with a depressive illness prior to their deaths. An alarming 90 percent of the sample had some form of psychiatric diagnosis -- depression, mood disorder, or substance abuse
Depression is the most widespread mental illness in today’s society. Studies have found that, 1 out of 8 teens are affected with this disease. It also predominantly affects young ladies than it does males. (www.kidshealth.org). Teens are at a position in their lives when they must face significant transition and peer pressures. They are trying to identify with themselves and trying to figure out where there puzzle piece fits in society, all of which can show the way to behavioral and emotional changes. This is also a stage when families suffer from poor communication: teenagers often tend to keep their feelings and concerns to themselves away from their parents and other authority figures. Therefore, identifying depression in teenagers can be difficult for adults to notice. However, it is very essential that adolescents with depression get assistance on handling their problems. For this reason, the focus of this paper will be about how parents can identify if their child are depressed. If adults are able to identify and have an understanding about depression so many lives could be saved.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, depression can be defined as a state of mental instability which affects the human body, mood, thought pattern, and relationship with others. Statistics from the National Institute of Mental Health shows that about eleven percent of teenagers have depressive disorder by age eighteen. (National Institute of Mental Health). Teenage depression is one of the issues confronting teenagers in today’s society. Depression can occur at every age in the human life, but it is more common in teenagers.
This report aims to present the issue of whether Australia is doing enough to prevent youth suicide, by providing facts and opinions on the issue, as well as explaining how the issue has affected society. Furthermore, the report also identifies participants involved in the issue and how they react to the issue.