Free Essay on Decreasing Depression in Adolescents

Depression in Adolescents

According to the World Health Organization, approximately 350 million worldwide suffer from depression. Based on the trends in the years 2008-2010, the number of young adults who experienced a major depressive episode rose by 8%. Women stand a higher chance of suffering depression as compared to men. Psychotic depression is the result of depression in conjunction with delusions, hallucinations, and paranoia. Averagely, 20% of people with untreated cases of depression develop psychotic symptoms (Moreh, & O'Lawrence, 2016). Based on these facts and statistics, finding a treatment plan for depression is imperative especially in adolescents, having in mind they have little to worry about and a whole life ahead of them. Similarly, reducing the number of depression cases among the adolescents is a step towards achieving Healthy People 2020. This paper is going to expound on decreasing depression in adolescents.

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Depression falls into the category of mental illness. It is mood disorder that affects a huge number of people worldwide. It is affiliated with persistent sadness and general loss of interest. A person suffering from depression acts withdrawn and unbothered by many things. They tend to avoid people and those who are brave enough resort to using other methods to ease themselves; some of which re extreme and dangerous. As much as it is classified as a mood disorder, depression affects every aspect of a person's life. It alters their eating, sleeping and thinking patterns. Above all, depression changes the way somebody feels about himself/herself. Self-value is imperative. Without feeling good about yourself, you are not in a position to produce your best results. Your self-confidence is reduced, and this translates directly to your performance. Self-value is also closely affiliated with self-love. Loving yourself is the greatest form of love. Moreover, love is generated within and spreads outwards. If you cannot love yourself as much as you want to be loved, then it is almost impossible to love others (Curry, & Meyer, 2016).

Support groups in schools and religious institutions

One prominent way of decreasing depression in adolescents is through coming up with support groups in schools and religious institutions. In these support groups, the adolescents are given a platform to share and discuss matters affecting them to professional psychologists who will in turn advise them on the best way to go about (Curry, & Meyer, 2016). There is a common lie among the adolescents and young adults that solving your problems on your own makes you strong and independent. Approaching others is considered a sign of weakness and incapability to handle your issues, but this is all wrong. The psychologists will take these young adults through the problems they face and come up with amicable solutions. Most importantly, they will let them know that the most energetic people are not the ones that shut people out when facing difficulties. On the contrary, the strongest people are ones who when to man up and when to ask for help when necessary. They can ascertain and accept what is beyond them without feeling weak. As a fact, asking for help is the real symbol of bravery because it takes a lot of courage to let others in on your problems, uncertain of whether they will help you or not. It involves opening you up to the public, and this leaves you vulnerable (Schubb, & Heering, 2016). It takes a lot of guts to show people the real you. Some may choose to laugh at you, ignore you, act unbothered or even scold you. However, you look past all that and hope that someone is going to help you. It is a shot in the dark, yet you go for it all the same.

Perhaps the most challenging thing about depression, its treatment and management is the inability or reluctance to accept you are depressed and seek help. Worse still, some adolescents even have no idea that they are suffering depression in the first place. Feeling down now and then is healthy and depressed people are likely to confuse their condition with passing blue mood. However, the two are entirely different scenarios (Schubb, & Heering, 2016).

Reducing depression in adolescents is not as easy as it may look. In fact, it is a stepwise process that needs patience and understanding. Adolescents are one group of people who should be handled with a lot of care and caution as they are in a phase that they are experiencing so many changes which may be confusing at times (Curry, & Meyer, 2016). First, the society has to accept that it is a problem among the adolescents. Secondly, a good and profound understanding of the adolescents is required. One should accurately and carefully assess the youth in question to establish the cause of depression. An efficient way of decreasing depression among the adolescents is being open with them and encouraging transparency. They need to feel that they are listened to and understood. Adolescence stage is filled with so much rebellion, and the last person they want is one who bosses them around. In sharing with the adolescents, it is crucial that one remains nonjudgmental and understanding (Schubb, & Heering, 2016).

References

Curry, J., & Meyer, A. (2016). Can Less Yield More? Behavioral Activation for Adolescent Depression. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice, 62-65.

Dembar, A., Kirpatrick, K., & Sta, V. (2017). Screening and Treatment of Adolescent Depression. A Journal of the New York State Academy of Family Physicians, 17-21.

Moreh, S., & O'Lawrence, H. (2016). Common Risk Factors Associated With Adolescent and Young Adult Depression. JHSSA Falls, 283-300.

Schubb, T., & Heering, H. (2016). Depression in Adolescence: Prevention. Cinahl Information Systems, 1-4.