Depression And Young Adults : Depression

The topic that has been chosen for this paper is depression in adolescents and young adults. Depression does occur in both of these stages of life. The Invitation to the Life Span textbook clearly explains the two different stages and how depression affects them. In adolescents, ages 13-18, it is said that a dip of self-esteem at this stage happens to all adolescents no matter what gender or ethnicity they may be (Berger & Chuang, p. 379). Some depression in adolescents is obviously more severe in some people than others and some even fall into clinical depression where they just feel a deep sadness and hopelessness that affects all normal activities (Berger & Chuang, p. 380). In young adulthood, ages 19-25, depression can be crippling and make it harder for their later development. It may make it harder for them to get through university or finding a mate. The textbook also states that this mental illness is more common to be diagnosed in this stage of life because it is the stage where an adult is trying to find themselves (Berger & Chuang, p. 415). Depression is described as, “Feelings of hopelessness, lethargy, and worthlessness that last two weeks or more” (Berger & Chuang, p. 592). This is a subject that should never be taken lightly. It is important because teens as well as young adults are experience this awful pain and sadness that they cannot explain. This paper will focus on how depression in teens has a negative impact on their life. It will also focus on how depression in young adults could have been triggered by their parents earlier on in life.
The first article, Impact of Teen Depression on Academic, Social, and Physical Functioning, focuses on the affects that depression has on teenagers ...

... middle of paper ...

...ook at how the parent’s lack of support or feeling pressured due to the fact of their child’s depression, is something that actually fuels the depression of the child. These also relate to the class readings because both of these articles stress the fact that the mental illness of depression is very real in young adolescents and adults. In both readings, they mention the severity of depression in both teens and young adults and how it is important to get treated. Researching this topic was difficult just because depression is something I struggle with. That being said, it was refreshing to see that others are taking an interest in getting to know the causes and the crippling affects that depression has on teens and young adults. All in all, depression is a mental illness that is becoming more widespread and it is good that people are trying to put an end to it.