Powerpoint Presentation- Depression in Teens & Young Adults

Depression in Teens and Young Adults

Jonalin DeMello

Argosy University

November 29, 2017

Psy 492: Advanced General Psychology

Depression in Teens and Young adults

Depression is a mental illness that is prevalent in today’s society. It is too often that we learn about a celebrity committing suicide or even someone we know. Social media plays a significant role in teens and young adults life. Teens and young adults spend so much time online and not enough time creating real relationships that are crucial to happiness (Forsell, 2007). Their lack of joy leads to depression and ultimately suicide. Today’s teens and young adults face many challenges, but one of their biggest is getting help for their problems. Many teens and young adults who commit suicide often reach out for help but the signs are not recognized, and that is the problem.

This brought me to think: Why does so many of our teens and young adults suffer from depression? I am 26 years old and at the age of 19 I was diagnosed with Major Depression, Anxiety and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. I have been battling this for the past seven years. My friends and family ask what I am sad about or what would make me happy, and I honestly cannot answer this question. This led me to think about why so much teens and young adults have depression. I am always laughing and having a good time yet I go through days of crying and not wanting to get out of bed.

People’s appearances on the outside always show the sudden change of our physical bodies from just infants to adult people. The changes that come with our bodies come in quite dramatic ways. With every stage of development in our lives, new experiences come which trigger various emotional and mental reactions. Studies have been conducted to show how depression emerges in an individual, how it develops and how it affects an individual over the years (Wasserman, 2011). Depression is defined as a condition of low mood and dislike of activity. It may develop as a reasonable response to happening life events or incidents, a sign of a medical state or the result of side effects of drugs or medicinal treatment. Depression can also develop as a sign of specific psychiatric syndromes, for example, the mood disorder major depressive disorder and dysthymia. Depression in children and adolescents is similar to that of an adult major depressive disorder. However, younger people show signs of increased lousy temper or violent or self-destructive manners as opposed to the general sadness adult people express in depression. Children who suffer stress, show anxiety disorders, loss of learning, attention or behavioral methods are at a higher risk of depression. Most childhood depressions are co-morbid with mental disorders independent of other mood disorders, most frequently anxiety disorder and conduct disorder (Greenberg, 2017). Depression also tends to run in some family lines. Psychologists have come up with different treatment methods to help children and adolescents who suffer from depression. However, the authenticity of the analysis of childhood depression as psychiatric condition together with the effectiveness of various methods of assessment and treatment employed remains a controversial issue.

The statistics behind childhood-to-adulthood depression present a vivid picture of how prevalent depression is. About 8% of adolescents and children experience depression. Research shows that the frequency of depression in young people ranges from 1.9% to 3.4% in primary school going children and 3.2% to 8.9% in adolescents (Greenberg, 2017). Further, studies have shown that among children found with a depressive episode, a 70% rate of reappearance within five years is likely. Additionally, 50% of children who suffer from depression will experience a repeat of it at least once in their adulthood. Even though depression rates in both genders show no difference up until the age of 15, after this age depression rates among women doubles as compared to depression rates in men (Harbeler, 2017). However, when comparing symptoms severity and rates of recurrence, both genders show no difference. Just like adults, children and adolescents who suffer from depression always feel an increased urge to commit suicide. Adolescent males are at a higher risk of harmful conduct if they also happen to experience conduct disorders. A research buys the National Institute of Mental Health in the 1990s found that 7% of adolescents who exhibit major depressive disease have a higher likelihood of committing suicide as opposed to young adults.

Regarding risk factors, both boys and girls are at same risks of depressive disorder. However, girls are twice more likely to develop depression than boys during adolescence (Parkin et al. 2017). Adolescent rates of depression are usually the same in boys and girls up until the ages of 11-13 when girls begin to change. At this age, young girls go through more physical changes than young boys putting them at a higher risk of depression and hormonal disparity.

When it comes to co-morbidity, research has shown that children with dysthymia have a high rate of co-morbidity with depression. A significant co-morbidity rate with depression is also found in children with the anxiety disorder, impaired social functioning and conduct disorder. In particular, a high co-morbidity rate with anxiety that ranges from 15.9% to 75% has been found out. Conduct disorders also contain a considerable co-morbidity with depression in adolescents and children, a study reported it with a rate of 23%. Further, from other clinical diseases, it has been found that depression in childhood combined with poor psychosocial and academic results, together with a higher risk of substance abuse and suicide always have an association.

Depression rates vary widely from state to state. About nine percent of the American adult population suffers from depression, as shown by a study conducted in 2010 and published in the Centers for Disease Control. State by state analysis reveals a considerable range of depression rates across the countries. States in the southeastern part of the nation had the highest standards of depressed adults, with Mississippi topping the list at 14.8 percent. Arkansas, Alabama and Oklahoma also had considerably higher rates compared to other participants. Colder states had lower depression rates, North Dakota coming first with just 4.8% ahead of Minnesota, Alaska, Iowa and Colorado. Even though not all regions took part in the study, the findings helped provide detailed information on the demographics. The study also found that people aged 18-24 and 45-64 showed the highest rates of depression with a 10 percent range. Women also showed higher rates of depression than men did. Regarding race, the highest standards of depression came in Black non-Hispanics followed by Hispanics. White non-Hispanics had the lowest rates of depressions with almost five percentage points fewer Black non-Hispanics.

The same study also showed that educated people had lower depression rates. The more education somebody has, the lower the likelihood of depression. When it comes to marriage, married adults had lower rates of depression if they stayed married compared to those that were previously married and those that never married. Health and unemployment also play a role in depression. Unemployed people had higher rates of depression compared to employed people. Those that have health insurance had lower depression rates same as retired people. Depressive disorders are more prevalent among people suffering from chronic conditions that people with standard disorders. States that record high standards of unhealthy behavior such as smoking had the highest rates of depression.

The immediate physical problems brought by abuse in children can be relatively minor or severe. From cuts or bruises bleeding, broken bones or even death. Long-term effects on health have been reported as a result of child mistreatment and neglect. From impaired brain development to abusive head trauma, the physical effects of child abuse usually follow them into adulthood (Wasserman, 2011). The cognitive effects of child abuse include grade repetition, low academic achievement and poor emotional and behavioral patterns in class. A study by the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being showed that over ten percent of school-going children and youth showed signs of cognitive problems. Socially, children who suffer from neglect have a higher likelihood of developing antisocial characters as their growth continues. Neglected children are more likely to indulge in criminal activities. Moreover, they are likely to establish abusive behavior and also abuse alcohol and other drugs. The emotional effects of child abuse include living in shock, being irritable, a feeling of shame or guilt, hopelessness, difficulty concentrating, fear and anxiety, feeling withdrawn from others and a sense of disconnection.

Prevention of depression can be achieved through early detection of the symptoms and subsequent treatment. Children who receive next treatment exhibit lower levels of depressive and their classroom improves compared to those who do not receive treatment, and studies have shown. Treated children usually report fewer symptoms of depression following medical check-ups. In short, early diagnosis of depressive symptoms and swift therapeutic intervention helps in reducing or complete elimination of depressive disorders. Children or adults who detect their depressive signs early enough can prevent its escalation.

There are multiple methods of treating depression. The most commonly used treatment methods are psychotherapy and medications. Some depression patients prefer psychotherapy to antidepressant medication for treatment (Parkin et al 2017). In children, antidepressants use is often viewed as the last option. Nevertheless, studies have shown that combining psychotherapy and medication proves the most effective form of treatment. Treatment programs have been created that aid in reducing effects of depression.

Various types of therapy used in treating depression. Firstly, talk therapy that helps people to live fuller and better lives. Secondly, cognitive treatment that tries to change a person’s harmful and harmful thoughts using positive ways. Behavioral therapy, on the other hand, helps in improving one’s unhealthy ways of acting so that they can be able to control that behavior (Harberler, 2017). Another form of therapy, interpersonal therapy, helps individuals to improve their relations with others by expressing feelings and development of advanced social skills. Psychotherapy teaches children or teens skills to cope while at the same time allowing them to explore their feelings and various events in safe surroundings. The last type of therapy is family therapy. This involves the participation of the whole family with a family therapist. To sum everything up, regardless of a person’s choice of treatment, early diagnosis of depression symptoms is essential to help treat depression. Treatment may not get rid of the mental disorder but it can help the patient manage the symptoms and live their life.

After reading through all of the various research I seen that the hormonal changes that our bodies go through during adolescence plays a big role in the diagnosis of depression. Growing up our body goes through so much changes and teens and adolescents may not speak out to their family or friends and bottle everything up. I grew up with my dad and two brothers and was the only female in the home. I think this played a big part in my life. I did not have the mother figure there to ask questions or get guidance from and I felt alone. I think many teens and adolescents today feel alone and have no one to talk to. It is important for family and friends to pay attention to their teens and adolescents and let them know they are available to talk.

References

Forsell, Y. (2007). A three-year follow-up of major depression, dysthymia, minor depression and subsyndromal depression: Results from a population-based study.Depression and Anxiety, 24(1), 62-65.

Greenberg, L. S. (2017). Emotion-focused therapy of depression. Person-Centered & Experiential Psychotherapies, 1-12.

Haberler, G. (2017). Prosperity and depression: A theoretical analysis of cyclical movements. Routledge.

Parkin, L., Balkwill, A., Sweetland, S., Reeves, G. K., Green, J., Beral, V., & Million Women Study Collaborators. (2017). Antidepressants, Depression, and Venous Thromboembolism Risk: Large Prospective Study of UK Women. Journal of the American Heart Association, 6(5), e005316.

Wasserman, D. (2011). Depression (2nd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press.