Depression is the predominant cause of illness and disability for boys and girls aged 10 to 19 years in the United States. Adolescent depression is a significant public health concern and is associated with a high risk of suicide, which ranks as the third leading cause of death among adolescents. . This paper will analyze the background, significance, and the descriptive epidemiology of depression and suicide in adolescents in the United States. It will then review and critique two current studies on the treatment of depression, and suggest future directions for research and potential public health policy recommendations in order to emphasize the prevention of depression in order to reduce the morbidity and mortality of this
“A sense of hope and something to live for is what teens need. They also need a way to raise their self-esteem. When they look at this world and see it through a hopeless window, there is nothing that will make them want to stay in it,” said Dan Snarr, a Skyline High science teacher. Suicide among teens is a recurring issue in today's world. The article “Suicide - Killing the teens & young people in America” written by Christopher Wager discusses the hopelessness that teens feel that leads them to commit suicide.
“Thanks to advancements in diagnosis and treatment, more children and teens than ever before are currently on medication. This fact has some people worried that caregivers today are perhaps too eager to seek out medical solutions to behavior problems.” Though certain prescribed antidepressants and other medications are suggested to patients by doctors, they indeed have side effects that should be taken seriously. Suicide is one of these side effects, and many teenage suicides are linked to such medicines. Because of this, patients are instructed to be extremely careful when taking medication to treat mental illnesses and depression.
Human development has interesting stages due to the changes in behaviour and growth of the body. Adolescent depression is a serious development issue which faces most households, hence requires proper attention. The occurrence of adolescent depression is most common in the modern society, though the impact of the depression has not been addressed adequately and may be significant. Many behavioural problems, for example, school dropout, drug abuse, unprotected sexual activity, suicide, self- inflicted injuries are the result of depression. Regular depression screening is important in the healthcare setting since it helps the physicians treat depression and employ recovery mechanisms for the patients.
Changes in suicide rates have also been reported in African American youths in the United States among those 10 to 14 years old: between 1980 and 1995 there was an increase that was almost double that for the
Depression is a serious mental illness that most adolescents struggle with, through their teenage years of life. Suicides rates are increasing as the years go by, especially in teens and adolescents. There are several controversial treatments and antidepressants for depression and they seem to work with teens, but not all. Allowing a teen to have an antidepressant should not be aloud because studies have shown that most teens and adolescents does not benefit them with their brain. In today’s society, doctors give teen a antidepressants and send them on their way.
Suicide and Bullying Among LGBTQ Youth Suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people ages 10 to 24 (CDC). Students who fall into the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, or questioning identity groups report being five times as more likely to miss school because they feel unsafe after being bullied because of their sexual orientation. LGB youth are 4 times more likely, and questioning youth are 3 times more likely, to attempt suicide as their straight peers (CDC). Nearly half of young transgender people have seriously thought about taking their lives, and one quarter report having made a suicide attempt (Grossman and D’Augelli). It is impossible to know the exact suicide rate of LGBTQ youth because sexuality and gender minorities
As of 2015, 5 in 100,000 girls and 14 in 100,000 teenagers commit suicide (Lewis). Teenagers are becoming more vulnerable and schools seem to be taking no notice. If these lives could be saved, it would help so many families across the united states. The National Institute of Mental Health states that there “are as many as 25 attempts of suicide to every one that is actually committed” (Eco Child’s Play). Suicides can be prevented by treatment of the illness.
During the years of university, students are overloaded with assignments, projects, presentations, quizzes and exams. These works and exams can create a lot of stress and pressures for university students who are expected to perform excellently in classes. Suicide is the tragic result students choose after facing these incidents. According to Emory Cares 4 U, “Suicide is the second-leading cause of death among people aged 25 to 34 and the third-leading cause of death among people aged 15 to 24” (Emory University, 2016). The causes of suicide in university students are academic and social pressure, inadequate coping skills with university works and feeling of failure or decreased performance.
An emphasis is placed on the importance of identifying warning signs and risk factors for depression and suicide amongst teens. According to the research conducted by King and Vidourek (2012) early detection and suicidal warning signs is seen to be crucial for effective intervention. Teenagers need to be encouraged to be more proactive when it comes to their personal mental health. Positive coping mechanisms such as problem-solving skills, effective communication skills, and good conflict resolution skills are all essential in lessening the likelihood that a teen exhibiting depressive behaviors will go forth and take their own life. As most teenagers spend most of their time in school, better prevention and intervention programs need to be in place.
Keep in mind that depression is a condition that can only be accurately diagnosed and treated by a health professional.” [Body 1] Depression often emerges during adolescence, through long-standing research from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare statistics show indicating signs that 1 in 5 adolescents experience depression by
Suicide is a dominant cause of death among teenagers and young adults. The rate of suicides and suicide attempts increases from time to time. For some, suicide is the permanent solution to a temporary problem and most pressing public health issues across the world. Suicides case is so often these days even becoming a trend and we are not even flinch anymore. The depression and substances abuse for teenagers currently become issues that lead to suicide cases among teenagers.
Depression Teen depression is much more than feeling temporarily sad or down in the dumps. It 's a serious and debilitation mood disorder that can change the way people think, feel, and function in their daily life. Teens who are depressed may feel hopeless and helpless and it can seem like no one understand and depression is far more common in teens than you may think. Many people assume depression is just a change in behavior that may die out in a few weeks or even a month; however there is much more to it than that. Often, it goes without notice because people don 't want to face the fact or don 't know what is actually going on with them.
How Do We Fight Youth Depression? In today’s world, depression is the first leading cause of adolescent suicides. It is a growing problem in our present society and is often a major contributing factor to one’s personality. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (of the US), one out of every four teenagers undergoes depression.
It’s not uncommon for young people to experience ‘the blue’ or feel ‘disheartened’ occasionally. The adolescence can be tough, and it’s perfectly normal to feel sad or irritable every now and then. Adolescence is constantly an unsettling time, with the many physical, emotional, cognitive and social changes that accompany this stage of life. Unrealistic academic, social, or family expectations can form a strong feeling of rejection and can lead to deep disappointment. When things go wrong at school or at home, teens often overreact.
Teen suicide is a very common in the world today. Teens think the only way to cope and relieve pain they have to commit suicide. They feel like they cannot talk to anyone because the person wouldn’t understand what the teen is going through at the time. This information is a way to learn the warning signs and to help the teens before they go as far as to commit suicide.