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Effect of depression and its social impact
Depression and its effects
Depression and its effects
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Have you ever felt that you’re living with no purpose in life, or even worse, the sensation of isolation and loneliness? For instance, imagine that you are colorblind; nevertheless, people are constantly telling you and reminding you of how colorful the world is. Similarly, this is how dreadful depression feels like; it can emotionally drain you, break you, and kill you. About 3.4 million teenagers have at least one major depressive episode annually, and studies have shown that the number keeps on increasing periodically. Teenage depression is caused primarily by getting bullied or abused; hence, developing the feeling of loneliness and isolation in the teenager as well as referring to radical methods to forget the emotional pain: suicide, drugs, or intoxicating drinks.
There are many factors linked to teenage depression; however, being a victim of bullying is claimed to be the preeminent motive for the distress of the teen. In fact, an analysis done by the University of Harvard has shown
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Usually, people who develop dire depression end up taking intoxicating substances like drugs or alcohol, which they believe makes them forget the emotional pain; however, it has been proven scientifically that the drugs make the pain become incomprehensible rather than help them disregard their misery. As a result of the obsession to drugs or alcoholic drinks, adolescents may need to go to health centers and attend for an extraordinarily long duration that can take up to 10 years or even their whole lifespan, thus wasting an immense amount of time from their youth. Particularly, committing suicide is the most sinister of all because someone is not only squandering time from his or her life, but also this person is dissipating his or her whole
People constantly overlook the severity of depression, more importantly, major teen depression, which presents a legitimate obstacle in society. The intensity of teen depression results from society’s general lack of acknowledgement of the rising affair. In 2012, “28.5% of teens were depressed” and 15.8% of teens contemplated the option of suicide (Vidourek 1 par. 1), due to their major depression going unnoticed or untreated for. Even teenagers themselves often ignore their depression or remain in denial because neither them nor anyone else recognizes the signs. “A sudden change in behavior is a main sign of someone being depressed, which could lead to having suicidal thoughts,” stated Pam Farkas, a clinical social worker in California (Aguilar 1 par. 8). The warning signs and risk factors of teen depression include behavioral issues, social withdrawal, and inadequate interest in activities (Adolescents and Clinical Depression 2 par. 3), yet the unawareness of these signs does not allow professional medical attention to intercede. Deaths, illnesses, rejection, relationship issues, and disappointment present passages down the negative path of teen depression, but treatments, such as psychotherapy, intervention programs, and antidepressants express ways to subdue this major problem. Knowledge of the increasing dilemma needs to circulate, in order to promote stable teen lives in the present and future world. Understanding major teen depression, the events and incidents that lead to depression, and how to overcome the problem will lead to a decrease in major teen depression and its growing issue in society.
Teenage Depression. Everywhere you look these two words appear together as one, in newspapers and magazines, as well as in scholarly reports. Teenage depression is one of today's "hot topics" this among other teenage mental health problems, has been brought to the forefront of public consciousness in recent years after several incidents involving school shootings (CQ 595). The environment that teens grow up in today is less supportive and more demanding than it was twenty years ago. Not only are the numbers of depressed teens rising, but children are also being diagnosed at younger and younger ages. Studies have found that, "There is an estimated 1.5-3 million American children and adolescents who suffer from depression, a condition unrecognized in children until about 20 years ago" (CQR 595). This increase in depression is due to social factors that teenagers have to deal with everyday. A recent study found that, "About five percent of teenagers have major depression at any one time. Depression can be very impairing, not only for the affected teen, but also for his or her family-and too often, if not addressed, depression can lead to substance abuse or more tragic events" (NAMI.org). Gender roles and other societal factors including the pressures on girls to look and act a certain way, the pressures on boys to suppress their emotions and put on a tough front and the pressures on both sexes to do well in school and succeed, all contribute to depression in teens today. Depression is a growing problem which crosses gender lines and one that needs to be dealt with with more than just medication.
Structural-functional views show the importance of being connected to friends and family to remain mentally happy and healthy. Symbolic-interaction shows us that we need to be proactive when it comes to youth and bullying and make sure that there is absolutely no tolerance for this behavior, because youth take to heart and internalize what others think about them. The social conflict perspective educates us on the importance that teens place on money and power and places socioeconomic youth at risk for many behaviors that can be linked to suicide and depression. Looking at teen depression and suicide through different sociological perspective provides an awareness and gives us valuable information that should be shared to make a difference in teen depression and suicide
Teen depression can best be described as a severe medical complication that affects the way a teenager thinks, feels and acts. Hopelessness takes over the entire human body and creates emotional, functional and physical problems. Every human being experiences depression in their life, but for some, it’s impossible to overcome. Not only does it have serious consequences and long-term treatment, but it cannot be overcome with willpower. Those who believe there is no way to cope with depression attempt suicide.
Suicidal tendencies in adolescents begin around the ages of 10 through 19, with warning signs, prevention, treatment, and the causes and effects it has on the human psyche. Suicide is when someone decides to take his or her own life because they are suffering from a painful mental illness and have lost hope in who they are. Because when hope is lost, some feel like suicide is the only solution to truly make the adolescent pain go away permanently. Scientific evidence that shows the people who have committed suicide have a diagnosable treatable mental disorder or substance abuse disorder (The National Institute of Mental Health, 2010). Those people might have been suffering from illnesses such as depression, mood disorders, personality disorders, and or suffering from bullying.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, scientific evidence has shown that almost all people who take their own lives have a diagnosable mental or substance abuse disorder, and the majority have more than one disorder. In other words, the feelings that often lead to suicide are highly treatable. That’s why it is imperative that we better understand the symptoms of the disorders and the behaviors that often accompany thoughts of suicide. With more knowledge, we can often prevent the devastation of losing a loved one.
Teenage depression is a growing problem in today's society and is often a major contributing factor for a multitude of adolescent problems. The statistics about teenage runaways, alcoholism, drug problems, pregnancy, eating disorders, and suicide are alarming. Even more startling are the individual stories behind these statistics because the young people involved come from all communities, all economic levels, and all home situations-anyone's family. The common link is often depression. For the individuals experiencing this crisis, the statistics become relatively meaningless. The difficult passage into adolescence and early adulthood can leave lasting scars on the lives and psyches of an entire generation of young men and women. There is growing realization that teenage depression can be life- changing, even life threatening.
Clinical depression is a common yet serious illness that affects many teens in the United States. They may “get into trouble at school, be negative and irritable, and feel misunderstood” (“Depression in Teens,” 2011). Boys and girls are equally likely to develop some form of depression and it often continues into adulthood if left untreated during childhood (“Depression in Teens,” 2011). Because many teens don’t even recognize that the way they feel is caused by a depressive disorder, they never have the opportunity to help themselves. Teenage depression can often lead to suicide.
The feelings of helplessness and hopelessness that accompany depression can fuel a downward spiral of health and self-esteem, which can have potentially deadly results: In one study of teenage suicides, 60 to 70 percent of the teenagers had been diagnosed with a depressive illness prior to their deaths. An alarming 90 percent of the sample had some form of psychiatric diagnosis -- depression, mood disorder, or substance abuse
Depression is the most widespread mental illness in today’s society. Studies have found that, 1 out of 8 teens are affected with this disease. It also predominantly affects young ladies than it does males. (www.kidshealth.org). Teens are at a position in their lives when they must face significant transition and peer pressures. They are trying to identify with themselves and trying to figure out where there puzzle piece fits in society, all of which can show the way to behavioral and emotional changes. This is also a stage when families suffer from poor communication: teenagers often tend to keep their feelings and concerns to themselves away from their parents and other authority figures. Therefore, identifying depression in teenagers can be difficult for adults to notice. However, it is very essential that adolescents with depression get assistance on handling their problems. For this reason, the focus of this paper will be about how parents can identify if their child are depressed. If adults are able to identify and have an understanding about depression so many lives could be saved.
Numerous research studies have been conducted on depression in female adolescents, focusing on personal stresses contingent on social causes and interpersonal development. According to Flynn (2011) research has shown that depressive symptoms are predictors of subsequent dependent interpersonal stress. However, looking further than depressive symptoms, more recent research suggests that young female adults are overly dependent on others, unassertive, constantly seeking reassurance on their self worth, and have ineffective interpersonal problem solving skills (Davila, 1995). Depressive personality traits amongst female adolescents (e.g., pessimism, self-criticism, self-loathing, lack of self efficacy) reported high levels of stress from peers.
A victim of bullying has a high risk of developing mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, and low self esteem. These disorders are a huge problem for teens and their close relatives. Because of bullying, teens often have suicidal thoughts because they feel unwanted and that no one loves them or feel like they don't matter to anyone (How to Stop Bullying in Youth Sports). Being bullied during the adolescence, “can persist into the future and develop psychological problems in adulthood” (Smoll). In other words, adults that were traumatized by the experience of bullying at a point in their lifetime have a chance of developing mental problems (How to Stop bullying in Youth Sports).
Empfield, M., Bakalar, N. (2001). Understanding Teenage Depression: A Guide to Diagnosis, Treatment and Management, Holt Paperbacks, New York.
“Previous studies that examined the link between bullying and depression have determined that the two are related. For instance, adults who are depressed are more likely to recall being bullied as kids. However, it's possible that adults without depression were bullied as well but have put the abuse out of their minds…Name-calling was the most common type of bullying, with 36% of teens saying they had been on the receiving end of this behavior, including 9% who were victimized frequently. Twenty-two percent of the teens said bullies had taken things from them. Beyond that, 16% of the teens said bullies had spread lies about them, 11% said they had been hit or beaten up, 10% were shunned by their peers, 9% said they had been blackmailed, 8% said bullies tried to get them to do something they didn't want to do, 8% said they had been tricked, and 5% said bullies had spoiled a game to upset them.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, depression can be defined as a state of mental instability which affects the human body, mood, thought pattern, and relationship with others. Statistics from the National Institute of Mental Health shows that about eleven percent of teenagers have depressive disorder by age eighteen. (National Institute of Mental Health). Teenage depression is one of the issues confronting teenagers in today’s society. Depression can occur at every age in the human life, but it is more common in teenagers.