Depression And Your Teen (by Jackie
Rosen / FISP)
December 2006
 Depression
is a major factor in the lives of our youth and young adults ages 10
to 24. In Broward County, the youngest child identified by the
medical examiner to die of suicide due to depression was only 9
years of age. Every 43 seconds a teen in the USA age 15 to 18 has
either planned a suicide or attempted a suicide due to feelings of
helplessness and hopelessness.
Why are our children having such a
hard time living depression free in today's society? What are the
stresses that lead them to the feelings of alienation, helplessness
and hopelessness?
Some of today's stresses effecting
our youth include the following: high performance standards, peer
pressures, cultural demands, family problems, lack of extended
family support, over scheduling and the need to have instant
gratification. All of these stresses and many more are possible
causes that add to the possibility of depression in the youth of our
nation.
High performance standards, such as
those relating to FCATS and other exams, sports and other after
school activities, parental or other adult expectations, needed
community service requirements, and tougher college entrance
requirements are just some of the causes which produce feelings of
performance anxiety and depression. We need to give our children a
sense of self that relates to their self worth and individuality.
High standards that we must meet are not only met by meeting the
expectations of others but also by those set by ourselves.
Peer pressures such as social
status, drugs, gangs, bullying, and sexual pressures are stresses
that can lead to all kinds of aberrant behaviors. Behaviors such as
cutting oneself, criminal behaviors, drug or alcohol use, sexual
promiscuousness, eating disorders or destructive acts due to lack of
anger control that injure themselves and/or others. Drug and
alcohol usage is often a form of self medication to help escape the
underlying feelings of depression. These are all possible behaviors
that can lead to feelings of overwhelming anxiety, helplessness,
hopelessness, alienation and ultimately desperation resulting in
self harm. Today our teens are functioning or not functioning under
the pressure of serious stressors that parents, teachers,
counselors, doctors and coaches have to be aware of and explore as
possible signs of a serious state of depression. All adults and
peers need to understand the effects and the resulting problems that
these stresses produce. All family members need to make themselves
aware of the stresses in each others lives and reach out to each
other to help recognize the signs and symptoms of depression. If
your child displays helplessness and hopelessness, go to the FISP
website at www.fisponline.org and see if they meet three of the 20
signs of depression which can lead to possible suicidal thoughts.
If these feelings last more than two weeks, all day every day then
your child may have clinical depression and it is time to seek help.
Get help early and avoid years of suffering for your child and all
those who know and love them.
Jackie Rosen is the Executive
Director/CEO of the Florida Initiative for Suicide Prevention, Inc.
- FISP
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Florida Initiative for Suicide
Prevention, Inc. -
http://www.fisponline.org - FISP
provides the structured group counseling model SUN Problem Solving
Program to groups of teens and college students in partnership with
area organizations at no cost to the organization or the student.
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