Teen Depression Epidemic by Adrianna Morris

You sit in your dark living room with the glow of the ABC news lighting up the room while your teenage daughter gets ready for high school. A report comes on the TV of an Epidemic of Teen Depression. You listen to all the stories and devastated parents and you think to yourself, "I'm glad my daughter's fine," but as they read off the signs and symptoms of depression your mind wonders and your heart races..."could my child be depressed?' Depression is an epidemic that is affecting many teens, but there are solutions to the problem. 

  The history of Depression has been around since the beginning of time. Instead of calling the mental illness, "Depression," back in the second millennium B.C. depression was initially called "melancholia"(Nemade Rashmi et al 1). then, depression was considered more of a demonic possession and spiritual, rather than, a common mental illness as we know it as today (Nemade Rashmi et al 1). In the 5th century, "The early Babylonian, Chinese, and Egyptian civilizations also viewed mental illness as a form of demonic possession, and used exorcism techniques (such as beatings, restraint, and starvation) designed to drive demons out of the afflicted person's body as treatments." Hippocrates classified mental illnesses into categories that included mania, melancholia (depression), and phrenitis (brain fever) (Nemade Rashmi et al 1). "For instance, Cornelius Celsus (25BC-50 AD) recommended starvation, shackles (leg irons), and beating as "treatments." In contrast, Persian physicians such as Rhazes (865-925), the chief doctor at Baghdad hospital, continued to view the brain as the seat of mental illness and melancholia." In Italy in the 14th century and in Europe in the 16th and 17th century, executions of the mentally ill were common (Nemade Rashmi et al 1). In the late 18th century and early 19th century it was thought that depression was an 

interchangeable weakness and people were being locked up and would normally end up poor and living on the street, homeless (Nemade Rashmi et al 1).  

The way adults find the importance of a job is the way that teens look at having a social life. Depression in teens is a major epidemic when it comes to the social effects it has on them. This causes depression to have a large impact on a teens everyday life. "Teens with depression and their parents reported more impairment in all areas, Parent reports included peer, school, and family functioning and subjective and objective burdens on parents. compared with teens without depression at baseline and reported more coexisting emotional and behavioral problems. " 

A teens life revolves around their social life. Without the need of a steady income, or full-time job, or even a part-time job, a teens life is focused on their education and graduating high school and heading off to college. Without the major distractions the average adult has from jobs or parenting, teens have more time to focus on their social life. For example: hanging out with friends on the weekends. 

"Courtney, a 15-year-old from Portland, Oregon, always knew she was different from the other kids. “I had a sense that something was going on, but I was afraid to say anything because I didn't know anyone else had a similar problem,” she said. Like thousands of U.S. teens, Courtney participated in a mental health screening program that was offered in her school. “Teenagers have a hard time asking for help,” she explained. “Without the screening, I'm not sure how I would have gotten the help I needed.”" 

This is an example of a young girl whose school decided to reach out to the students they believed struggled with depression from an epidemic standpoint. Her school understood that teenagers aren't going to speak up when it comes to them being "different" from their peers 

"Sarah is a bright, kind-hearted 19-year-old college student. She also has major depressive disorder. Fortunately for Sarah, her family (especially her mother) understand depression very well. At the age of 15, when Sarah told her mother she was having some problems, her mother knew to take her to the doctor and get her the help she needed." This example shows a teenager reaching out for help and recognizing the signs and knowing who to talk to. There are many solutions to depression and realizing the signs and symptoms are the first step to solving teenage depression. 

 There are many different "solutions" to the epidemic of teen depression.  Some medical treatments that are most commonly used are antidepressants. Antidepressants are medicines that treat depression (Depression 1). "The most popular types of antidepressants are called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)." Different SSRIs are: fluoxetine, citalopram, sertraline, paroxetine, escitalopram. An SSRI is a selective serotonin uptake inhibitor (what are SSRI's 1). "SSRIs work by enhancing the function of nerve cells in the brain that regulate emotion."   

Another treatment to depression is psychotherapies. "Psychotherapy (sometimes called “talk therapy”) is a term for a variety of treatment techniques that aim to help a person identify and change troubling emotions, thoughts, and behavior." Psychotherapy is found to be more comfortable to parents with children or teens that struggle with depression or depressive disorders. Parents are found to have chosen "talk therapy" vs. Medications due to the side effects of some medications. Some people choose this treatment over taking medications also because some people are not comfortable with taking medications to stabilize their mood.  "Some of the side effects to an SSRI are:  drowsiness, dry mouth, agitation or nervousness, feeling dizzy, pain in the joints or muscles, upset stomach, nausea, or diarrhea."  

With these treatments the best treatment for depression is combining these solutions. Going to therapy and taking the medications will help you handle the change you feel from taking the medications and talking to someone to make sure that the antidepressants are actually working and not working against you. Another perk to psychotherapy is getting the chance to vent to someone who you know wont judge you and will point you in the right direction for the things that you are struggling with. Some antidepressants will actually cause you to go into a deeper depression, so going to therapy to my be a safer option to make sure that you are getting the help that you need.  

Camus relates to this epidemic in certain ways, he believes that there is no meaning to life, which some people that suffer from depression also believe. They have similar views to their outlook on life. Overall there isn't much that Camus relates to when it comes to the epidemic of teen depression.  

You turn off your tv and get ready to drive your daughter to school, reassured that in the case that she is depressed you know the warning signs and the solutions to this epidemic.  Depression is an epidemic that is affecting many teens, but there are many solutions to the problem.  

  Works cited 

Nemade, Rashmi, et al. “Historical Understandings Of Depression.” Mental Help Historical Understandings of Depression Comments, 19 Sept. 2007, www.mentalhelp.net/articles/historical-understandings-of-depression/. 

Jaycox, Lisa H., et al. “Impact of Teen Depression on Academic, Social, and Physical Functioning.” Pediatrics, American Academy of Pediatrics, 1 Oct. 2009, pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/124/4/e596. 

Friedman, Richard A. “Uncovering an Epidemic - Screening for Mental Illness in Teens | NEJM.” New England Journal of Medicine, 28 Dec. 2006, www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejmp068262. 

Robert, Teri. “Teen Depression - An Interview.” HealthCentral, Healthcentral, 8 Sept. 2009, www.healthcentral.com/article/teen-depression-an-interview. 

“Sertraline.” MedlinePlus Drug Information, medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a697048.html. “What Are SSRIs?” WebMD, WebMD, www.webmd.com/depression/ssris-myths-and-facts-about-antidepressants#1. “What Are SSRIs?” WebMD, WebMD, www.webmd.com/depression/ssris-myths-and-facts-about-antidepressants#2-4.