Grant Proposal on the Topic REDUCING HOMELESSNESS IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Student 1

Student 2

Student Sample

Richard Leebert

Engl 1302- 63019

May 2, 2019

Improving Children’s Depression

Problem Identification

Depression can better be understood by understanding the meaning of the actual word; depression comes from the Latin word “depression” which is identified as sinking. Thus, a person with depression feels as if they are sinking; it is a feeling which is self-doubt. A major depressive disorder is common which is a medical illness that affects negatively how you feel, think and how you act. Although, depression can be tricky. It is possible for it to be used in three different types of ways such as symptom, syndrome, and disease.

Prevalence

When identifying as a symptom it can be easily confused with other diseases. As a syndrome, it categorizes with being sad, guilty and even disability. As well as a disease, it can be understood as a treatment which can be established throughout time. As many types of research have been done within depression and the more you go in depth it can be very harmful to the human body ( Zare et. al 5). The effects that depression leave can be permanent (Zare et. al 5) Children to be exact can leave with physical, mental and behavioral health for the rest of their lives. Every child’s depression can be different, and it all depends on how they get treated due to symptoms can be the same but vary.

Most of these early depressions that the children are diagnosed with tend to come from their mothers. It has been researched that mothers who have depression or problematic behaviors tend to pass it along to the child. When the child is born it later gets effects, where it can affect their future life if it does not help soon. During the peripartum period, which is where, the mothers use either alcohol, tobacco or marijuana it starts to affect the children where it can change a different way of viewing it (Grover, Avasthi 4).

Depression is a disorder that is all too common with children and adolescents, however, many do not but seek enough help. In order to improve depression, the mental health of the individual needs to be improved. There should be evaluations in mental literacy where there is a chance to design school-based interventions. Each year it can be seen how children diagnosed with depression fall behind in their curricular activities and lifestyle. When the children see that they are different from other children, they think that there is something wrong with them and their emotional side begins to worsen causing the disorder not to improve.

It has been established that depression can occur at any age (Swartz et al. 1). There should be an aspect where children can improve their academic skills by also trying to help them out with their depression, specifically the aspect of trying to bring back the light in them (Hense et. al 2). When it comes to being diagnosed with depression it is more about understanding the mentality and with that how can one help to improve the lifestyle.

There is an ADAP (adolescent depression awareness program) which is a school-based educational program that educates the students, parents, counselors, and teachers (Swartz et al. 2). This program does an overview of the mood disorders and attitudes about treatment. Although, the parents get this information there are many aspects to improve the students diagnose. Research declares that one of the symptoms for depression is struggling within the classroom or even not wanting to attend (Grover and Avasthi ,8). The ADAP helps maintain the children with their educational activities which becomes beneficial by trying to help them not fall behind on their curricular activities.

However, depression is not just a mood disorder, it affects the social functions of the children which require comprehension of development (Avanci et al. 1). A family is a big impact, in order to figure out how to help out. It has been stated that the family is worldwide public health (Avanci et. al 2). Despite the situation the child can be going through the past is one of the main points schools needs to investigate to help out. This causes the function of the children to be odd where can soon become an effect of depression. Families behavior plays a big role when seeking to find help into why a child of such a young age is diagnose. The ADAP is a resource to help educate more but every situation is different because of what each individual goes through (Heense et al. 6)

The key to understanding what is going on with children is to determine the cause of their past. Therefore, schools should create a program which is not only for the child but as well for the parents. There needs to be a way where it is all accessible to all. Schools should be able to provide a discount or something that can be used at home as well and not only during school hours. With that being said the improved knowledge of the child’s past and the parents is a key point to think about when creating programs for depression (Dopheide 8).

Furthermore, not only does depression affect your social life but physically as well. The side effects of depression can only increase as the children become adolescents. Children with depression have a lot going on which can affect them within their future life. They have a lot to overcome in the future where we have to figure something out in a way, we can help them out in their future. Youth experience many changes through every single aspect of their lives, which is where it becomes challenging. Their brain is changing where when you try to learn about it the less information there is to obtain. Therefore, trying to diagnose the brain of a child is not as simple as it sounds. A mother is well to be diagnosed or give ideas into why the children could be this way. Depression affects everyone in different matters of ways but to children, the lack to do anything is very common. The risk of depression increases as children becomes adolescents.

Assessment of Resources

Children with depression deserved attention because it can affect them tremendously in the future. When it comes to children with depression, although it can be rare at times it can still occur. The school has available programs, counselors, and therapy for free where the children can attend to help them out (Bassotti al. 3). Therapy and counselors both fall under the same category where the children are able to talk and learn ways to improve their problems. It will also help them do better and being able to communicate.

The kids need therapy when they are unable to solve problems alone or when it affects them. All of these are options which are available to the children for free within their school (Cullinan et. 2). The fact that it is free within the school it means that when the child leaves school they have to go through with it with their parents. Most parents do not acknowledge the sign that their children present thinking it is nothing serious. The parents can also want to use the help to help their child outside of school but because it’s at home they have no access. Treatments in school are available for the children who attend the school, but the parents do not have access which is why most of these treatments do not get to function.

These programs within the school has many pros but as well as cons. Although it is helpful, the restrictions such as only being available during school hours it makes it complicated where the child does not get enough out of it. When a child shows symptoms while with the parents it is often not recommended for the parents to force the children to do such things. Forcing a child to do something with force can just complicate the situation more. During the depression, it is preferable to remain active, so before trying to force the child it is better for the parents to fight the depression with them, by trying to encourage them (Grover, Avasthi 7)

Impact of the Problem

Depression affects adolescents in many ways. Children have many ways of showing they are going through major depression. Depression starts with affecting the way one lives its life activities and then self-esteem. When it comes to children, they need the most attention because it is something they are not informed enough where it can affect them in the long run. Analyzing children with major depression means keeping an eye and trying to see ways to improve their health.

The schools have ways that can help them deal with it but not enough when outside of school. Children have a resource in school from counselors or maybe even some programs which in the schools holds to help with such a thing. Since it is free to the children while they are in school hours outside of school it is different. The parents may not have much technique to it leading to no improvement. It is not enough for those children to attend their psychology programs only during school. The effects when the programs do not get to expand within that makes it harder to help.

There are many times where when a child is diagnosed with it the child just gets here and there some information and just gets passed on. Although there are resources which help the children, they are not beneficial enough which leads to long term effects. The mental health condition causes a feeling of sadness and many depressants activities. Medication might help because it can be safe, but it can have some unpleasant side effects. These effects can cause at the moment but as well as long term. Medications are not a go-to turn when dealing with depression.

Intervention strategies

When speaking about children with depression it is less common for them to be taken seriously just because they are “sad”. Doctors usually think that it is something temporarily and that it will pass (Grover and Avasthi 4). However, it is a serious matter which needs action to make sure that the children’s health is not at risk in the long run. The problem is the lack of ways to help treat it without medication. There have been a few depression programs such as ADAP which is just a resource to help educate more, but it has not been efficient. (Heense et al. 6). These programs are not effective in the improvement of the children diagnose, they have a better chance of improving when the parents are more involved and interactive all the time.

Efficacy of Strategies

One theory that schools can utilize more fully is cognitive behavior therapy (CBT). It is a common type of talk therapy which can be more efficient than to treat it with medication when treating depression. CBT starts by making it clear to the patients of the thoughts they are having by transitioning them into positive ones. The attitude you start to have changed the way of your behavior which helps ease depression. Those who use CBT use the skills they learned in therapy continue to use them years later. Although, there has been research that it does not work for many patients (Beard et al. 1). With CBT the patients are able to transition their thoughts which helps with some types of depression. Cognitive behavior therapy is beneficial in many ways, not only is it a natural way or economical but it helps life changing habits, behavioral activation and improving communication (Grienken et al. 8). CBT has shown effectiveness in a wide range of disorders which not only include depression but as well as anxiety and chronic pain. The therapy of CBT with depression seems to decrease over time which one can get better within the 18 months follow up (Mangus et. Al. 3).

On the other hand, doctors prefer to go straight into medication so it can be efficient right away. Antidepressants seem to be more effective than doing something natural. However, when it comes to medication, not all medication is effective in the same way. It is important to communicate with the doctor when taking antidepressants which are some part of the CBT. Getting on any antidepressant for depression should not be given, the depressant should depend on the specific symptoms of the children. With antidepressant comes money along, the school will not be able to provide mediation without the parent’s authorization (Beard et. al. 5).

Selection

Treatments which show no efficient response show that the patient will just continue to suffer and gain depression again within a year (Beard et al. 2). While both theories have their pros and cons, CBT is a more natural and economic theory to be implemented within schools. The schools will only cover so much, where if the medicine was beneficial it will come out of the parent’s pockets. The school will have psychologist within the school where there will be no need to do a lot of traveling from offices to offices. The therapist will be available all the time unlike medication need to go refill and it’ll just be set for so many months. Therapists at school will work with the children one on one where the children can develop skills that can be taught to parents so they can try it at home as well. This helps the parents be more gathered in their children’s lives where they can feel connected and understanding.

Cognitive behavioral therapy includes parents for many reasons. One being the children will be under age so the consent of the parent is needed. The therapy gives out many techniques to help care for their children while at home. It gives them the chance to be directly involve making them trained in ways they can handle the children at home (Effective Child Therapy).

Conclusion

Acknowledging that children from a young age can suffer from depression is the first step. If a child presents symptoms, one should take action and seek opportunities that a school can provide to help. A school is a good resource due to their being counselors and even programs. These programs are conducted to help not only the children but as well as the parent. Research has demonstrated that even though there are programs within the school they need improvement. For this reason, schools need to be implementing CBT to truly benefit the child’s depression while at the same time improving the education about what depression really is.

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