Internalizing Problems In Youth Populations

Mental illnesses are very common in the United States, with one in five of adolescents having a diagnosed mental illness and in the last year less than half of these adolescents have received proper treatment. The most common mental disorders, anxiety and depression, can disrupt daily life and result in suicide, which is the third most frequent cause of death in teenagers (“The Office of Adolescent Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services”). Ten percent of adolescents did not have health insurance in 2013 and those who did, had a very limited amount of mental health care services provided to them (“The Office of Adolescent Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services”). It has been proved that it is even less likely that adolescents who are poor, homeless, gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender will receive the care that is necessary for their health and even life (“The Office of Adolescent Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services”). Mental disorders are not only an

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

The Internalizing Teen Group specifically addresses the core characteristics of depression and anxiety. Some patients in this group show school avoidance

Recent research has shown that young people face a varying number of challenges during maturation. Pearce, Cross, Monks, Waters and Falconer (2011) found that common stressors and anxieties for young people are related to relational issues (e.g., family, romantic), scholastic obligations (e.g., study), self-esteem (e.g., body image), emotional wellbeing, and bullying. As such, the mental wellbeing of young people is becoming a serious national issue. Annually, on average 27% of young people aged from 16 to 24 are experiencing some form of mental illness or mental health problems (Slade, Johnston, Oakley Browne, Andrews, & Whiteford,

Depression is a major predictor of a myriad of negative outcomes such as poor academic achievement, low self-esteem, decreased pro-social relationships, and higher risks of substance abuse (Healy, 2016). Additionally, these negative outcomes experienced by depressed teens may be even more apparent if the depression remains untreated. Findings mentioned earlier by Jones (2013) have also confirmed that this sensitive period in an individual’s life is particularly vulnerable to depressive symptoms that could lead to dire outcomes. These negative outcomes found by Jones (2013) concur with many of the same outcomes Healy mentioned. Moreover, research by Jaycox, Stein, and Paddock (2009) further delves into the impact of teen depression on these negative outcomes. Their study broadens knowledge on negative outcomes in teen depression by examining them over a long period of time. The data is compared to teens that are not depressed, but experience the same negative consequences. Results from the research concluded that the negative outcomes such as school achievement and poor relationships were significantly more severe in depressed teens. After stating the major consequences depressed adolescents experienced, their study further found that treating adolescents may not only have clinical symptom benefits, but also greatly

According to Psychology Today, high school students in America are five to eight times as likely to suffer from depressive and anxiety symptoms as teenagers fifty or sixty years ago were. Although tragic events are theorized to be a cause of anxiety disorders, studies have proven that economic tragedies and wars do not match up with a rise in young adult anxiety disorders. During WWII or even the Great Depression, the number of children with anxiety was dramatically lower than the numbers now. Of the thirty percent of teens with anxiety disorders, around twenty-five percent have a lifetime prevalence of anxiety disorders, while the other five percent are predicted to have the “severe” lifetime prevalence of an anxiety disorder (Any, 2014).

Although externalizing disorders can be easily recognized, since there is a behavioral display that goes against parents and society’s expectations and because of that easily noticeable and promptly assessed and handled, the reality is that internalizing disorders might be as important as the external ones because although affecting in first-hand the child’s internal world, causing excessive anxiety and sadness they might have devastating consequences for this child’s life in the future as may happen with depression “ Childhood depression predicts a sixfold increase in the risk for suicide in young adults (…) this prognosis shows the pressing need to develop more effective treatment for children and adolescents with serious internalizing disorders” (Oltmanns & Emery, 2015, p462).

Social factors such as sexual abuse, alcohol or drug use, and even the idea of suicidal contagion, can affect the suicide rates in youth (Amitai, & Apter, 2012). According to a report from Child Trends, an environmental factor that plays a main role in the rates of youth suicide is the accessibility to lethal methods, especially guns (Child Trend Databank, 2016). The report also mentions that youth who experienced traumas in life, who have poor communication with their parents, and who have been exposed to suicidal behaviors are more likely to commit suicide (2016). In addition to these factors, mental illness also plays a role in suicide among youth between the ages of 15 and 19. When a young person has a mood disorder such as anxiety, depression, or bipolar disorder, they are much more likely to attempt suicide. Approximately, 90 percent of youth who do attempt suicide has a mood disorder (Healthy Children,

Data gathered from responses to a popular personality test called the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, or MMPI for short, and analyzed by researchers from five different universities shows that there is as many as five times the number of teenagers suffering from anxiety and depression as there were in the early twentieth century. The exact cause of the sharp incline in identified mental disorders amongst our youth is still yet unknown. In order to curtail the escalating numbers we must identify the underlying issues that result in these troubling mindsets.

Everywhere you turn mental health is the talk of the world. To better understand this growing epidemic, it is said that mental health involves your emotional, psychological, and social well-being (CDC 2009). Have you ever been stressed out and lost your train of thought, you mind seems unclear and you feel in a daze. While mental health also affects the way in which one thinks, feel and act (CDC, 2009). It also includes how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. For this reason mental health amongst adolescents is essential at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood.

Mental Health is not merely the absence of psychopathology, but the presence of sufficient levels of emotional, psychological, and social well-being (Keyes, 2002). Over the lasts 20 years, there has been a shift in understanding the epidemiological study of child and adolescent psychiatric disorders and their daily functioning. About one out of every ten youths is estimated to meet the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) criteria for a Serious Emotional Disturbance (SED), (Costello et al, 2005) defined as a mental health problem that has a drastic impact on a child’s ability to function socially, emotionally, and academically (Brauner and Stephens, 2006). Children who have difficulty paying attention, following directions, getting along with others, and controlling negative emotions of anger and distress do less well in school (McClelland et al., 2000). For many children, academic achievement in their first few years of schooling appears to be built on a firm foundation of children 's emotional and social skills (Raver, 2002).

Recent studies have shown that females are at a greater risk to experience depression than males (Daley & Rao, 2000, Morris, McGrath, Goldman & Rottenberg, 2014). Adolescence is a time in young girl’s lives that they are faced with transitions. A time when adolescence begins at 13 years old (Morris, McGrath, Goldman, Rottenberg, 2014) and young girls are faced with increases in social and academic demands (Daley & Rao, 2000). According to Gutman and Sameroff (2004), this is a time in an adolescent girl’s life that stressors can predict more serious problems (Gutman & Sameroff, 2004).

Pre-adolescence is a crucial stage in a child’s life because it is during this stage that kids can learn the coping mechanism that can prevent complications later on in life (Britton et al., 2014). Some children and adolescents may not have the opportunity to seek proper mental health care during their childhood. This may be due to parents overworking or simply not being able to afford quality mental health care services (Bucci et al., 2016). However, schools can serve children and adolescents as a

Most people do not understand there is a high number of young adults suffering from a mental illness. In the United States, 1 of 5 young adults will live with a mental illness (“Teens and Young Adults”) and approximately half will develop their mental illness between 14-24 years of age. The amount of young adults with depression, a common health concern, has doubled between the 1980s and 2000s. Another known mental illness includes an anxiety disorder in which 4.4 percent young adults suffer from today (Mental Health Statistics). With the continually increase in figures, hospital stays have risen 80 percent between 1997 and 2010, with mood disorders holding the leading cause for hospital stays in young adults (Peruo et al.).

They may cling to their parents and avoid new people and challenges. At ages 9–12, some common symptoms are morbid thoughts and lying awake worrying about schoolwork. By then, children have enough intellectual capacity and social understanding to think about reasons for their depression, and they may blame themselves for disappointing their parents.” (health.harvard.edu, 2002).