“ I WISH I WOULD JUST DIE ALREADY!” screamed Jane as she opened the pill bottle and hesitated to take them all. Jane had been showing these signs if depression that no one noticed. If her school would’ve screened the students for suicidal tendencies and mental illnesses they could’ve prevented her from getting that far. Screening helps people identify who may and may not be at risk of suicide. Schools should screen children and teenagers for mental illnesses and suicidal tendencies, because if it’s not treated it can worsen or cause other problems, provide more help, lower suicide rates.
If schools screen for mental illnesses and suicidal tendencies because if it isn’t identified and treated it can worsen or cause other problems. Some minor depression can grow and develop into major depressive disorder. “ People who’ve been diagnosed as depressed in adolescence should be watched for new signs of depression
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and should be taught to identify signs that they may be depressed again” (Kersting,K 1). Depression may not ever leave a person but screening can help find way to treat it and overall prevent suicide. Screening may be the doorway to helping these people in the long run. Depression can affect these people’s social lives and everything else. “ Depression can lead to persistent sadness, social isolation, school problems, and suicide. Screening to treat it early is crucial.” (Depression Test, 1). If not treated the lives of these individuals can go downhill and they may suffer from it for the rest of their lives. Screening can help these individuals get on the road to a better life. With screening to help these people can identify their problem and they can then help themselves become happy. Even though these people may have fought their depression earlier in their life it can always come back and maybe even worse. “ It’s a scar that make these individuals more vulnerable to major depressive disorder” (Lewinsohn). The bruise may have healed but the scar will always be there. The depression will linger but it will be treated. If schools screen for mental illnesses and suicidal tendencies it will provide more help. They may not be able to help directly but they will get in touch with those who can. “Referrals can be made for treatment and effective treatment can be employed when signs are observed in time.”(Teen Suicide, 1) After these referrals are made they then go to get the appropriate help they need. Screening would help both the students and their parents identify the issues they may not even know they had.
Many people feel depression and not know why, they may start to feel like they’re crazy or as if they can’t live a normal life. “ Most mental illnesses go undiagnosed and untreated , screening helps” (Depression Tests, 1). After identifying these illnesses people can finally have a peace of mind and be able to take all the right steps in helping themselves.
Without screening these children may go an entire lifetime without ever knowing that they have an illness. Children can be at risk and no one will notice because they didn’t take the time out to screen and ask a few questions. “ Children can benefit from depression screening as early as second grade” (James Mazza) “ If schools don’t screen their students don’t have the opportunity to proactively identify themselves as at risk” (Pros and cons, 1). If schools don't screen they won’t ever know how to differentiate the students who are at risk and need help from those who are fine and don’t need
help. Screening for mental illnesses and suicidal tendencies may lower the suicide rate. During a screen doctors, schools, or whomever ask a few questions to identify whether or not the child is at risk of a mental illness, suicide, or a suicide attempt. “ Although suicide is not entirely preventable the risk can be minimized by asking the right questions during routine check ups” (American Academy of Pediatrics). By Identifying these at risk children and teens help can be provided before the severity of their illness worsens and they do commit suicide or attempt to. After screening you will be able to identify who has a mental illness or suffers from emotional distress. “ Screening programs have proven to be helpful because research shows that suicidal people show signs of depression or emotional distress”(Teen Suicide ,1). These people may not be suicidal after getting help. Most of the people who commit suicide suffers from a mental illness or has some type of emotional distress. “90% of people who died from suicide have risk factors” (teen suicide, 1). If they were screened these risk factors would have been identified, the suicide may have been able to be avoided, and that number probably would have been much lower. When solving a problem you always go to the source of the problem, where the problem started in order to completely solve it. People at risk start showing risk factors in their youth years. “Screening youth for suicide may be a critical step in suicide prevention” (Suicide Screening in Schools, 1). If the provide help when the problems first start to arise they can solve them faster and easier than they would be able to if they let the problem worsen. “ Early identification of suicide risk may be an important part in lowering the severity of suicide” (Suicide Screening in Schools, 1) What this argument fails to consider is that teachers aren’t doctors, nor are schools the place to test for mental illnesses. Teachers are here to teach the future generations of America. The schools are for learning and expanding the mind. If they start the screening in school they may take the attention of what really needs to be focused on such as grades and school work. However mental illnesses can get in the way of school performance and cause students grades to suffer and drop drastically with screening these students can get the help they need and focus more on their school work and grades than on the problems they have within themselves because they either are getting the help they need or have already gotten the help they needed to live and function. All and all schools should screen children and teenagers for mental illnesses and suicidal tendencies because if not treated it can worsen or cause more problems , provide more help, and lower suicide rates or rates of attempts. Screening can give these students a peace of mind, they will no longer have to struggle or fight alone because because they will get the help they need. Without screening who knows how many people would suffer by themselves, which may cause a higher rate for suicide and suicide attempts because they have no one to lean on.
I think we should really value the mental health of our children in the society if we want to develop this great Nation. The psychological well-being of our children affects us both directly and indirectly whether we accept this fact or not. It is very important that we ensure that our beloved children have the capabilities to adapt to the stresses, working productively both in school and also contribute to the developments in the community. Problems associated with mental illness or health are very common in this society especially in the institutions of learning be it high schools, colleges or even universities. Some health problems associated with mental health include depressions, bipolar disorders, anxiety disorders and at time schizophrenia. It is therefore of vital importance to encourage and promote the improvement of mental health among our children.
Mental Health Funding Mental health is a subject a lot of people prefer not to talk about, which is a main reason that it is so underfunded. The severe underfunding affects not only the people suffering from mental illness, but also the government, the economy, and society as a whole. It is in the government's best interest to put more funding into mental health due to the health consequences on patients, including weight issues, drastic effects on bodily functions, and difficulties in pregnancy. As well as this
"School-based mental health screening for teens results in connection to care."Mental Health Weekly Digest 12 Sept. 2011: 40. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 3 Mar. 2014.
...e people advocating for better mental health care. Parents and teachers are more likely to recognize the development of depression and should be educated on what they can do to help their student and child. Since it is proven that depression can lead to violence, qualified psychologists should be readily available on campus to help students faster than outside of the school. If not that, then schools, like George Mason University, can spread awareness of depression and sponsor programs or info sessions where their students learn of depression and what they can do to help others who may be victims of depression. Baby steps like these, as well as implementing a solution practical in the modern technology-era, can accumulate and develop into a strategically effective means of preventing school shootings caused by depression across the country in each and every school.
Clinical depression goes beyond sadness or having a bad day. It is a form of mental illness that affects the way one feels, thinks, and acts. Depression in children can lead to failure in school, alcohol or other drug abuse and even suicide. The warning signs of depression fall into four different categories: emotional signs, cognitive signs (those involving thinking), physical complaints, and behavioral changes. Depending upon the degree of depression, a child may experience a few symptoms or many. Also, the severity of each symptom may vary. According to the CQ Researcher, "School
There are so many types of mental illnesses that affect people every day. When some people think of mental illnesses they think of the ones that would cause people to have physical symptoms as well, but that’s untrue, there are many more that you would never know anyone has if you were to see them on the street. As defined by the 2008 encyclopedia “a mental illness is any disease of the mind or brain that seriously affects a person’s ability or behavior. Symptoms of a mental illness may include extreme moods, such as excessive sadness or anxiety, or a decreased ability to think clearly or remember well.” A mentally ill person has severe symptoms that damage the person’s ability to function in everyday activities and situations. Every nation and every economic level can be affected by a mental illness. In the United States alone about 3% of the population has severe mental illness and to add to that number about 40% of people will experience a type of mental illness at least once in their lives. Some cases of mental illnesses can go away on their own, but some cases are so severe that they require professional treatment. There is so much more available to help people recover from their symptoms than in the past.
Recently, a popular TV series “13 Reasons Why,” raised the awareness of suicide and mental health. Suicide and mental health are big deals, since suicide is the “second leading cause of death for ages 12-24,” according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (“Suicide Statistics”). People attempt suicide for various reasons, and mental illness is a significant factor. Consequently, risk factors such as chemical imbalance in the brain, genetic vulnerability, environmental factors, and family relationship intertwine and cause mental illness. Among those mental illnesses, depression is one of the most common and heavily associated with suicide. Depression is difficult to identify among the young people because the symptoms are easily
The development of mental health policy has gone through many changes in the course of the twentieth century. Today, mental health policy is totally different from the policy hundreds of years ago. Because of this, it is important to emphasize the fact that mental health policy has shifted from the indifference and isolation of people with mental illness, to the delivery of social services and community integration. In other words, mental health policy has experienced a serious change that has changed the attitude of policy makers, health care professionals, ordinary people, and also to people with a mental illness. Today, people with mental health problems are no longer outsiders as they used to be. Instead they are seen as people who have different needs and social geared towards their integration into the community. The federal government now has a policy that addresses the problems faced by people with mental illness, gives the community a chance to understand these people, and sets a standard in providing mental health services. There are over seventy actions in The Federal Mental Health Action Agenda. “It offers an unprecedented opportunity to fundamentally alter the form and function of the mental health service delivery system in this country to one that puts individuals-adults with mental illnesses, children with emotional disturbances, and family members-at its very core” (The Federal Action Agenda: First Steps. Web. 24 Mar. 2014).
Children are a crucial part of society. They participate in almost all aspects of a society whether it is in schools, community activities, or in the workforce. However, not all children develop the same skills and are granted the same opportunities as others because of a mental illness. Mental illnesses are as serious as physical illnesses and they negatively affect a child’s life. There are a variety of mental illnesses children may have with different levels of severity; mental illnesses hinder childhood development, and they affect a child’s social and home life.
There are so many cases alike that are suffering from some sort of mental illness and have no idea that they are or don’t know what to do about it. Data compiled by SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) indicate that approximately 15% of children in schools as of right now have untreatable mental illnesses. There are at least 200 known mental illnesses throughout the world, and at least 100 can affect everyone of all ages. Abuse and home conditions are large starters of mental illness, behind that is private and or public schooling. Mental illness can be started in the main places in a teens life, yet mental illness is not mandatory for even health classes to teach in
Having an illness can have an affect on an individual either physically or mentally. Anyone can be a victim of a mental illness such as, children 's, adults and senior citizens, it is not rare. There are hundreds of different types of mental illnesses and with more to be discovered in the near future. Struggling to accomplish a certain assignment or not being able to speak properly, can all be signs of someone who is suffering from a mental illness. Major depression, autism, anxiety and Schizophrenia, are just some disorders that can affect an individual’s state of mind, and over time if not not cured, it could become highly dangerous, but medications and therapy play a key role in controlling it. For some individuals enjoying life becomes
This could result in students with more suicidal thoughts and attempts at suicide. In fact, the number of students with suicidal thoughts has tripled over the past 13 years as the number of students seeking help for depression doubled in the same span (Lindsey 2009). Depression can affect these teens in other areas of their life as well. The students who reported that they were depressed also reported that they considered their health fair or poor (Lindsey 2009). In their cases, depression not only affects them psychologically but also physically.
Mental disorders are rapidly becoming more common with each new generation born in the world. Currently, nearly one in two people suffer from some form of depression, anxiety, or other mental health problem at some point in their lives (Editor). With so many people suffering from their mental illnesses, steps have been taken in order to get help needed for these people but progress has been slow. In the medical world, hospitals are treating those with physical problems with more care than those with mental problems. Prescription drugs can only do so much helping the mentally ill go through their daily lives and more should be done to help those who need more than medicine to cope with their illness. Mental health should be considered just as important as physical health because of how advanced physical healing is, how the public reacts to those with mental illness, and due to the consequences that could happen if the illness is not correctly helped.
The topic that I choose is mental health education for teenagers in school. Mental health is a person’s condition with regard to their psychological and emotional well-being. In schools we have classes focusing upon the physical and educational well-being of students but has ignored the mental well-being. The lack of mental health education results in people not knowing how to properly interact with mental illness both in others and with themselves. Not only is the knowledge of how to deal with mental illness an issue but the stigmatization that has derived from the lack of understanding creates a negative environment in confronting these illnesses.
Children, like any other age group, have their numbers steadily increasing with time. They too face the same issues as adults and need an intervention to help them recover. Children have the right to be prevented from mental health complications and the families and health systems should work together to enhance that. Enhanced systems should be able to detect such conditions early enough and provide interventions that solve the problem in the long run. Efficient detection systems can also help establish causes of mental issues among children and provide an opportunity for preventive health approaches.