An Effective Treatment For Teenage Depression

It is not uncommon to hear stories about a teenager experiencing mood swings and rebelling against those in authority. Nor is it uncommon to experience general sadness or anxiety in high school and college. However, it is often difficult to tell the difference between normal teenage angst and clinical depression. It is not commonly known that there has recently been a staggering rise of depression in adolescents. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, one in twelve adolescents in the United States suffer from depression, which is 8.3 % of the teenage population. In order to combat the problem of adolescent depression, it is essential that parents take an active role in their adolescent’s life by both acknowledging and

Depression is a common and serious mood disorder. It’s more than just feeling down or sad in response to life’s struggles and setbacks, depression causes people to lose pleasure from daily life, can increase the risk of many health problems, and can even be serious enough to lead to suicide. The disease must be given more attention and treated as a global public health priority. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 7.6 percent of people over the age of 12 have depression in any 2-week period. Depression is also the second most common cause of disability worldwide after back pain,according to a review of research.

The survey from 2010- 2014 illustrates results of 41,000 (10.7%) adolescents who reportedly had at least one MDE episode in Alabama (samhsa.gov). Consistent with this, treatments for MDE in adolescents was not decent. The annual average for adolescents between the ages of 12-17 years from 2010-2014, resulted in 32.1% receiving treatment for depression, while 67.9% of adolescents did not receive treatment at all (samhsa.gov).

Depression is a prominent illness in the adolescent community, and we need to find a way to help and treat sufferers of

Depression is a leading cause of death among adolescents- So why aren’t we doing more about it? “Experts estimate that 5% of all adolescents will suffer from depression. Unfortunately, only 20% of depressed adolescents are appropriately diagnosed and treated” (DBSA). A depressive disorder is a disease that affects mood, thoughts and behavior. It is also the reaction of the human to the unfavorable surroundings or environment. DBSA otherwise known as Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance states, “When a bad day turns into a bad week, month or more, there may be a medical explanation for this change in behavior of feelings of hopelessness” (DBSA). Many parents may think that a young adolescent is moody or unhappy because it is a natural part of being young and growing up. However, “Persistent unhappiness or moodiness is not normal for anyone” (DBSA). If depression was better recognized, treatment was more readily available, and depressed adolescents adhered to treatment, adolescent life could be enjoyed by millions that would otherwise suffer.

Mental illness is a popular ill among all ages of people, it can happen in kids, adult or in senior. In fact, 20% of Canadians will personally experience in their lifetime (Canada Mental Health Association, n.d.). But all among of those mental illness we’re going to talk about depression. Depression is an extremely complex disease and it can be really bad especially for people who are expected to focus during class, be confident and social outside of school, and successfully plan their futures, depression it can be devastating for these people. Even mental experts have a belief that’s teens suffering from untreated depression are up to 12 times more likely to commit suicide (Marsico, 2012, p16). The main purpose of making this report is to

Depression is a common disorder throughout the world that affects all age groups. Although rare in young children, depression disrupts the lives of many teenagers. In the United States, 11.2% of 13 to 18 year olds are affected by depressive disorders annually (National Institute of Mental Health). Depression during youth is particularly destructive since it not only causes a loss of relationships and

Depression can be dangerous. It is one of the most common mental health problems in the United States. It is reported that as many as one in every 33 children and one in eight adolescents may have depression (Center for Mental Health Services, 1998).

The National Survey on Drug use and Health found "in 2014, 11. 4 percent of adolescents aged 12 to 17 (2. 8 million adolescents) had an MDE during the past year" (SAMSHA). The pressures and struggles of being an adolescent can only be exacerbated by major depressive episodes or even a diagnosis of major depressive disorder. Adolescents require support for their experiences and attention needs to be brought to their trials. .

Depression is a prodigious issue in today’s society and is especially prevalent in teens. According to teen depression statistics, around 20% of teens have or are currently experiencing depression symptoms. And that doesn’t include self- harm or suicide/attempted suicide. Because depression is becoming such a major issue, antidepressant prescription has skyrocketed; but is it really doing what it should? If antidepressant use is increasing, why are the numbers of depressed teens growing or remaining the same? I believe that though antidepressants can be helpful in some cases, they tend to cause more side effects and problems in the long run. Alternative options have been proven to work just as well without the incredibly surprising and potentially serious side effects of antidepressant drugs.

Depression is a highly prevalent mental disorder with estimates indicating that it affects up to 6.7 percent of the United States population age eighteen and older in a given year for Major Depression and 1.5 percent for Persistent Depressive Disorder. The prevalence of mental disorders is the greatest among those who are ages 16 to 24 years of age (ADAA, 2016). The prevalence of youth with mood disorders is 11%, with nearly 50% of youth aged 8 to 15 did not receive mental health services in the previous year. The prevalence of adults with major depression is 6.9%, with nearly 60% of adults with a mental illness did not receive mental health services in the previous year (NAMI, 2017). So, as we can see there are numerous studies regarding

Adolescence, defined as a period between ages 13 to 19, is challenging for those individuals (Gladding, 2012; Crisp, Gudmundsen, & Shirk, 2006). During this time, adolescents are learning about themselves while also dealing with challenges affecting identity, transitioning in various areas of development, and coping with life stressors. Not being able to effectively deal with presenting challenges can lead to disorders such as depression. Persistent sadness and loss of interest in daily activities that cause impairment in daily functioning are characteristics of depressive disorders (APA, 2013). Adolescents, especially females, are more likely to suffer from depression or depressive like symptoms during their adolescent years (Crisp et al.,

Depression a word we’re familiar with especially when it comes to adults, we know adults get depress and we understand the reasons, with the high demands in life it’s not uncommon to get lost in the shuffle. Depression in adult is something we have known for many years, but what has surprised many of us is that adolescents also get depressed. I myself still don’t fully understand the reasons why or how this happens. I see it very often adolescent coming in to the ER because they are depressed and want to hurt themselves, and each and every single time I’m shock. What could be so bad in their lives that would make them think they have no way out? This is the reason why I choice this topic, I want to learn more of how this disease affects so many children and teens and what we can do to stop it.

Today’s teenagers are faced with the ever changing world around them and the biological changes of their bodies. Many teens are also faced with depression. Approximately half of teenagers with untreated depression may attempt suicide, which remains the third leading cause of death in this age group. (Bostic). This depression affects their school, family lives, and robs them of their self image. Depression affects many teens and often goes by unnoticed and untreated.

To begin with, let us make clear what is depression. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, depression is described as a serious mental disorder in which a person suffers long time of sadness, loneliness, and other negative feelings. Depression affects how you feel about yourself such as lack of energy and concentration, lose interest in work and hobbies, and have trouble of insomnia. Depression makes life more and more difficult and dispirited. More importantly, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), major depression is the leading cause of mental disorder for people in the United States aged 15 to 44. Recent estimates show that about 10 to 15% of children and teens experience depression at