I’ve been struggling with myself a lot lately, so much that I’m starting to hate me. This familiar foe is no one new, I just forgot how much it could consume my every thought and emotion causing me to feel like I’m entirely broken. If only I could be strong enough to push you out of my way, but there is a sense of comfort that begs me to stay; wrapped around your tightly coiled ropes, sending me down these hazardous steep slopes. – v.a.o
Have you ever felt an intense wave of overwhelming sadness that you can’t seem to shrug off? Often times individuals automatically associate this question with depression, but depression can have a multitude of indications. Sadness is an emotion that is universally felt by everyone. All individuals tend to experience intense phases of sorrow in their lifetime. However, not everyone will go through the experience of clinical depression. It can cause substantial impairment in daily life with severe symptoms that can affect the way an individual may feel and think. According to Richard L. Worsnop, author of Why does the disorder afflict so many people? claims that “Depression is so extensive that it’s at times labeled as “the common cold of mental illness” It is also the most treatable of mental disorders, with up to 80 percent of patients showing marked improvement after therapy. Nonetheless, only about 30 percent of depression sufferers seek professional help (Worsnop)”. It is important to deepen our understanding of depression in order to be able to identify and help individuals who may be afflicted by this illness, so they can seek treatment as soon as possible. This disorder has the knack to inflict itself not only in adults, but it can also take an immense toll on adolescents as well. The impacts of depression on the early lives of young adolescents can be influenced by their maturing development, family dynamics, and traumatic incidents, which can then lead to depressive behaviors.
In the text, Essentials of Psychology, Stephen L. Franzoi states that depression is categorized under a psychological disorder, a pattern of atypical behavior that results in personal distress or significant impairment in a person’s social or occupational functioning (Franzoi, 501). Meaning that psychological disorders range from various behavioral or psychosomatic symptoms that may impact multiple aspects of life and produce distress for an individual. Nearly 121 million people worldwide of all genders, ages, and backgrounds are affected by symptoms of depression (McMillian). People with depressive illnesses don’t always experience the same symptoms but when left untreated these issues can become prolonged and affect everyday life. Depressive disorders involve emotional extremes that cause significant disruption in day to day functioning. Almost 30 percent of the over-all population reports experiencing disheartening moods for at least two weeks at some time in their life, but if these moods continue for an extended period of time, it can qualify as a depressive disorder.
Depression comes in many shapes and forms, it can endure at low levels for months and possibly even years. While in other forms, the signs are so severe that they can develop the need to commit suicide. A very common depressive disorder is Major Depressive Disorder, this disorder is characterized by extreme and persistent negative moods and the inability to experience pleasure from activities previously enjoyed (Kristen 2012, Riso 2003). The Department of Psychiatry at John Hopkins University School of Medicine declares that “At least 5% of adolescents, roughly 1 in 20 teenagers, will experience an episode of Major Depression, making it one of the most common medical illnesses young people face (ADAP)”. Those who suffer from depression exhibit severe cognitive symptoms of low self-esteem, suicidal thoughts, and have little hope for the future. It is suggested in Kalman Heller’s research that one of every five adolescents will experience major depression through their time in high school with the common age of 14 years and one out of every four college students or adults (Heller, 2012). Depression is one of the leading causes of illness and death in the world today. Depression is recognized to enhance the risk of suicide within youths. According to Carolyn T. Halpern, since the year 2000, suicide is the third leading cause of death for adolescents, roughly 12% of the yearly deaths in this age cluster. Still, the amount of juvenile deaths from suicide in the United States has severely amplified during the past couple of decades (Halpern).
Notwithstanding that depression is one of the greatest common illness that adolescents face, Depression is repeatedly misunderstood. Though it’s very much treatable, Depression continues to be fundamentally underreported by teenagers. The stigma that surrounds depression is regularly seen as a lack of willpower rather than a medical disorder. Adolescents who may be suffering from depression tend to hesitate in sharing about their illness with the fear of being ostracized. The stigma behind mental disorders is often engrained in a shortage of knowledge about these illnesses. Learning and becoming educated is an important step in demystifying the illness. Being able to recognize the risk factors of depression and the warning signs to suicide will go a long way toward prevention. Regrettably, countless individuals with these symptoms never get diagnosed or receive any treatment.
To fully comprehend what could cause depression at such a young age, one must wonder what vulnerabilities or traumatic incidents provoke such cognitive complications. Individuals who are depressed often experience physiological problems and can also experience behavioral symptoms, such as psychomotor impairment, social withdrawal, and decreased rate of activity (Franzoi). When an adolescence developments sexual and physical maturity, the occurrence of depressive disorders strikingly escalates. Parental guidance is needed for the maturing youth that is trying to comprehend all the sensitive moods and bodily changes that they are undergoing. When their emotional dispositions are interrupted their capability to meet tasks within their daily routine can be a symptom of a psychological illness that needs to be treated immediately (Depression In Teens). By the time teens get to the age of fourteen, depressive conditions are more common to develop girls than boys because of the differentiation in coping mechanisms throughout puberty. Even though rates of depression for adolescent girls are much higher than adolescent boys, various boys are still affected by the disorder. Sadly, depressive disorders in men are often disregarded since many find it challenging to talk about how they’re feeling with the fear of diminishing their masculinity (Branney & White, 2008).
Countless teens are at high-risk for depression due to family inclination and exposure to hardship in their childhood. Children who are brought up in supportive, affectionate, and compassionate homes are more probable to behave in that manner as adults. Those who are brought up in unstable or abusive environments veer toward behavioral or substance abuse problems. Approximately 15 million children in the United States grow up in a household where a parent has experienced one or more episodes of a major depressive disorder. (Parent, Forehand & Compas, 2013). In the journal article of Adolescent depression and risk factors, the authors claim that children of depressed parents are at vast risk to go through depressive disorder and develop emotional and behavioral problems during their adolescent years (Diego, Sanders & Field, 2001). Parents who are depressed tend to experience difficulties in their parenting role and battle to remain reactive towards their children. Without proper structure from parents, children are incapable of establishing or accomplishing goals often leaving them to feel incompetent.
Additionally, Parents frequently anticipate their kid to thrive but never devote the time to cultivate a connection of a secure environment for their child to flourish. According to Richard O' Connor, Ph.D., author of Depressed Parents and the Effects on Their Children, “Lack of encouragement, disconnection, and insignificant communication creates unconstructiveness and hostile relationships between children and the parent”. Also, individuals who have depressive disorders foster additional adverse matters in discussions, provoking negative emotions in others. Individuals who spend the majority of their day with negative thoughts, often pass it on to others. Parents with these characteristics increase the probability of their children to feel experiences of depression as well (O’Connor). There’s an abundance of elements that may increase the risk of depression. Traumatic events throughout the course of one’s childhood such as the exposure to violence, loss of a loved one, physical, sexual, or emotional abuse, plus much more. Adolescents who experience such traumatic events cultivate symptoms of depression at an early age.
Depression is normally treated with a combination of antidepressant medication and psychotherapy. A minor quantity of people who suffer from depression pursue help professionally, with a high percentage of increased progress within clients after psychotherapy. Psychotherapy is the treatment of a psychological disorder that employs psychological techniques which include a personal connection with a skilled therapist (Franzoi, 542). This type of therapy allows teenagers to discuss any stresses that may have triggered their illness as well as the tough obstacles they face with having the disorder. The antidepressant medications are prescribed for adolescents and adults, but younger teens often start at lower doses which can slowly be increased. Two types of antidepressants are currently approved in the United States, Prozac and Lexapro, for the treatment of Major Depression in children and adolescents. Teens need to be well educated about their illness and treatment in order to establish important lifestyle changes. The Adolescent Depression Awareness Program of Hopkins medicine claims at “Taking one’s medications, avoiding harmful behaviors, eating well, and working to normalize sleep are practical ways to support recovery (ADAP)”.
If depression is left untreated, individuals run a high risk of probable suicide, In the manuscript of What can post-mortem studies tell us about the pathoetiology of suicide? the authors state, “In the USA, suicide is the third leading cause of death for adolescents. More than 90% of suicides in the USA are associated with mental illness, including alcohol and substance abuse disorders” (Pandey & Dwivedi). Adolescents who hold on to the feeling of misery, has a major influence on the choices they make. Additional concerns include new or excessive experimentation with drugs and alcohol. The impact of substance abuse can be harmful towards treatments of depression. Treatment of Depression must include control of substance abuse as well as other damaging behaviors like self-injury, restricting food or binge eating.
Depression in adolescence is a widespread mental illness with substantial affliction. However, not many people think of Depression as a remediable medical disorder, they may feel that formal evaluation and treatment isn’t necessary. Adolescent depression can be acknowledged and assessed with numerous methods, and it is imperative for diagnosis, prevention, and suitable treatment. Several factors expand the threat of young adolescents suffering from depression disorder. Parents are able to fully support their children by learning about the signs and symptoms of this depressive illness. Since these symptoms are quite similar with common life experiences such as feeling unhappy or having fluctuations in sleep or energy, it is vital to be open in discussing minimal distresses with youths to differentiate minor changes from more severe ones.