The Social Issue
Depression is a significant social issue of interest to me as I have seen it affect numerous people in my own life and have even struggled with it at times myself. Depression has caused people to take their lives: Chester Bennington, lead singer of the group Linkin Park took his life following the suicide of his friend, and numerous other people who are less famous end up in similar situations—lost, without hope, unable to break a cycle of depression that has them gripped as though in a vice. Depression is an issue that can be treated, however, but in order for the right intervention to be applied, awareness about depression has to be raised so that the stigma and taboo of depression can be alleviated, allowing those who suffer from it to come forward. In recent years, major public figures, especially athletes, have come into the light to talk about depression. NBA basketball stars Kevin Love and DeMar DeRozan have talked about their struggles with mental health, which helped to increase awareness about the issue. Teens especially need to hear this subject discussed because they are one of the most vulnerable populations when it comes to depression.
Questions to Guide My Examination of This Issue
The questions that will guide my examination of this issue are:
1. Why are adolescents affected by depression?
2. What are the effects of depression among adolescents?
3. What are the ways depression can best be treated among adolescents?
High-Risk Population
Adolescents struggle with depression for a number of reasons. First, they are transitioning from a state of childhood to a state of adulthood: their bodies and minds are undergoing rapid, major changes and their roles and responsibilities are changing as well. They face many new pressures and stressors. Second, adolescents are impacted by peers, groups and media and the messages
Why Adolescents are at High Risk Compared to Other Groups
Adolescents are at a high risk for depression compared to other groups because they are going through very difficult changes during that time. Their bodies are changing, their minds are developing, and they are being faced with new peer pressures that they may not understand. Other groups such as adults or children are not as at such a great risk according to the statistics from the National Institute of Mental Health (2019), which found that “the prevalence of adults with a major depressive episode was highest among individuals aged 18-25 (13.1%).” Only 7% of adults suffer from depression, and children under the age of 12 are not likely to suffer from as it is very rare for them to experience prolonged periods of sadness or hopelessness. For teens, however, it is a different story. They are trying to figure out their place in life and they are transforming in so many different ways while that process is happening. Plus, they are inundated with a variety of stressors that adults and children do not face.
Contributing Factors
There are myriad causes and effects of depression in adolescents. Today’s adolescents live in a highly pressure-filled environment, where they are impacted by peers, groups and media to think, act, and feel a certain way (Bandura, 2018). It sets them up for conflict, both internal and external, and teens who are unable to cope with the conflict can succumb to negative impulses, such as depressed thoughts and feelings. According to Erikson’s model of human development, the adolescent stage of development is the fifth stage of development, as is typified by the Identity vs. Role Confusion conflict, which commonly lasts from ages 12-18—i.e., the teenage years (Shriner & Shriner, 2014). It is during this stage of development that teens struggle to understand who they are and what they should do with their lives, their talents, their desires, passions and so on. If they do not have a sense of talent, self-worth, value, passion, interest, or guidance, they can become depressed and withdrawn, failing to resolve the important conflict that people face at this stage of their lives. This is why guidance and support for teens is so important. Other pressures come in the form of drugs, sex, school, work, and family—and balancing all of these while also trying to find time for personal recreation can cause teens to have negative, depressed thoughts. In short, anything in one’s environment or within one’s own biological makeup can be a potential cause for depression.
However,...
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