Teenage Depression and Suicide

Globally, major depressive disorder (MDD) is among the top five public health concerns today (Cuijpers et al., 2011; Jakobsen, Hansen, Simonsen, & Gluud, 2011; Hees, Rotter, Ellermann, & Evers, 2013). Moreover, almost 20% of patients with depression engage in self-harming behaviors, including suicidal attempts (Gamble et al., 2013; Jakobsen et al., 2011). Not only is the prevalence of depression alarming, but costly to the health care system (Cuijpers et al., 2011; Cuijpers et al., 2014; Hees et al., 2013; Jakobsen et al., 2011). The use of antidepressants is the standard for initial treatment, but may be limiting in preventing relapse (Cuijpers et al., 2014; Jakobsen et al., 2011). Therefore, the inclusion of non-pharmacological interventions may be necessary to improve treatment outcomes (Cuijpers et al., 2011; Dekker et al., 2013; Jakobsen et al., 2011). Interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) and cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) are the two primary psychotherapeutic interventions recommended in the treatment of depression. In this paper, I will discuss the difference between CBT and IPT, compare the effectiveness between both therapies, explore their efficacy as an adjunct treatment with antidepressant medications, and summarize the treatment guidelines for depression.

Life as a teenager may not be as easy as some people might think. Suicide may be what teenagers believe will be best for them. Young adults think it is the solution to all of their problems and stress. It can also be caused by a series of emotions. There are many complications that teenagers might be facing thinking they cannot be solved. Depression is the most common cause of teenage suicide. There are teens that might want to “socially fit in, academically fit in, and act responsibly.” (About Teen). Teenagers might have a low self esteem and feel hopeless and worthless, causing them to kill themselves for feeling that they are not good enough for anything. Teens might be dealing with bisexuality or homosexuality in an environment that is unsupportive. Breaking up with a boyfriend or girlfriend can be traumatic for some teens. Kids might be having a poor relationship with their families and peers. There might be emotional, physical or sexual abuse towards them. Teens might be victims of bullying. Young adults might be going through really big life changes like a parent’s divorce, financial changes, moving, etc. There are a lot of problems that these young teens could be going through and we would not know. Many problems going on today could lead teenagers to depression and have them want to

Discovering one’s identity, struggling to understand one’s conventionally appropriate gender role, accepting one’s body image, gaining independence from parents, maintaining responsible sexual relationships along with enduring vehement hormones, establishing values relating to marriage and parenthood, and simultaneously managing academic goals, extracurricular activities, and occupational preparations are all psychological and social demands placed on the adolescent. These demands, along with additional factors, such as bullying, drug use/domestic substance abuse, domestic violence, divorce of parents, rape/sexual assault, loss of a loved one, heartbreak, low socioeconomic status, health problems, race, ethnicity, struggles with self-identification, and other traumatic experiences can all increase one’s likelihood to commit suicide.

Kutner, Max. "Teen Suicide Is Contagious, and the Problem May Be Worse Than We Thought;

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 life threatening mental health disorder which is characterized by a persistent depressed mood or loss of interest in things you once enjoyed. In the United States alone there is about three million cases of depression per year and an estimate of 5,000 Americans between the ages 15 and 24 who take their own life due to this disorder. Since the last estimate the suicides have tripled from the year 1960 according to the Mental Health of America (Mental Health of America #1). Suicide has become the third leading cause of death in adolescents and the second cause of death among college-age youth. This disorder can make it very hard to live your normal everyday life. You can have overwhelming feeling of sadness, frustration and irritability. Some teens do

If I wanted to help decrease the rate of teenage suicide, I would interview suicide survivors and people who had tried to commit suicide but didn't. I would interview them about what led them to the decision that they wanted to commit suicide, but then ask about all the good things that have happened to them since they decided not to or were not able to complete it. I would want them to spend a lot of time describing their hardships and how they felt that the pain was inescapable and how they felt like everyone might be better off without them, and then I would want them to spend a longer time describing the happiness that they have experienced and all the little things that make them happy now. For example, maybe one of the survivors talks

Depression is the feeling of severe despondency and dejection. In simpler words, depression is a state of low spirits, loss of hope, and sadness. Between the ages of 15-24 and 35-44, research has found that developing major depression is very likely. In my age group, 15-24 years, depression is quite common because of all the overwhelming physical, emotional, and social changes. Of course as teens we overreact when put in these kinds of situations and make them an even bigger deal than they actually are. Also as a teen, we are looked at as young adults and are getting ready to go off to college and start our careers and then a family. It’s a lot of pressure and stress and there are a lot of unrealistic academic and social expectations that we

A depressive disorder is an illness involving the body, mood, and thoughts (Psychology Today). However, every person is different, and their way of describing depression will most likely not be the same as others. A teenage girl may describe it as a never ending hole she fell into, while a middle age man can describe it as feeling like he is drowning, but breathing just fine. Depression has come to be one of society’s most substantial issues, yet it never seems to get the right amount of attention. Teenagers tend to be what the average person thinks of when they hear the word depression. They think that since some adolescents are quieter, dress differently, or act a certain way that they are sad and emotional. Sometimes it can be the person

There has been an unfortunate increase in the news about teenagers killing themselves as a result of being bullied. With the increase of social media bullying is now easier and faster to do. Even if someone doesn’t live in the same area as their bully they can still be bullied and taunted. One of the reasons why teenage suicide has gone up with the increase of social media use is because bullying is not as hard to track because someone can delete their harmful comments like they never happened. Instead of posting on a public forum like their “wall” a bully can send them a private message and later delete it when questioned about it.

Depression (also called major depressive disorder and clinical depression) is the mood disorder that inspires a persistent feeling of sadness or apathy at least for a period of two weeks. Patients with depression often feel sad, empty, anxious and worthless. Around 350 million people suffer from some form of depression worldwide, and approximately 11% adolescents have a depressive disorder by the age of 18. (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/20/depression-statistics_n_6480412.html) 15% of the people diagnosed with depression will die by suicide, making the annual suicide

Depression is something that can cause an individual’s life to change drastically. It is a mental illness that needs to be taken seriously and have active actions throughout the process of becoming better. People may see depression as an illness that does not need much attention, or is nothing to worry about, but that is when they are wrong. Depression has many warning signs that need to be looked for and noticed carefully since they can be very hard to determine. Teen depression changes the daily lives of individuals and the people around them who are suffering. Depression is also one of the major reasons why the suicide rate is high. Depression is the cause of over two-thirds of the 30,000 reported suicides in the U.S. each year. (White House Conference on Mental Health, 1999). Untreated depression is the number one risk for suicide among youth. Suicide is the third leading cause of death in 15 to 24 year olds and the fourth leading cause of death in 10 to 14 year olds. Young males age 15 to 24 are at highest risk for suicide, with a ratio of males to females at 7:1. (American Association of Suicidology, 1996). Depression is a very serious illness that needs to be brought to everyone’s

A new study suggested that extended use of electronic devices, such as laptops, smartphones, and tablets may cause symptoms of depression in teens. According to the researchers from the San Diego State University and Florida State University that people, particularly teens, who spend more time in social media are more vulnerable to develop depression.

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.

Perhaps no subject in the contemporary society is as controversial as teenage depression. As we know, people express themselves through their feelings and behaviors. Unfortunately, some people cannot either express their emotion or communicate with others, which leads to depression. It is a mounting problem in today’s society and is often a major factor causing most adolescents’ psychological problems. Teenage depression can change and even threaten their life. Therefore, we should have knowledge to solve and prevent this problem.