Jake Thompson
Dr. Reusch
Inquiry: Written Communication
22 Nov. 2021
Adolescents Are Not Alright: The Lack of Depression Awareness and Education
It’s all in your head, ‘snap out of it’. It’s easy, just ignore it. Just cheer up, it’s simple. Don’t talk about it, that only makes it worse. It doesn’t affect men. It’s a weakness. Once you take medication you’ll never be the same. It’s just the same thing as being sad. It only happens because of traumatic events. It’s not a real problem. These are dangerous misconceptions of depression that too many people believe are true. Too many people have a skewed view of depression and too many people don’t know what it truly is. Major depressive disorder is misunderstood by many and presents a paramount issue, especially amongst the younger generation which is not just hyperbolizing the issue. It is imperative that more education be provided to both parents and students in order to help mitigate and treat major depressive disorder amongst the struggling youth.
Many people might have a general understanding of what depression is, some might even know the definition of it – a textbook example being: “when a sad mood lasts for a long time and interferes with normal, everyday functioning,” (“Anxiety, Depression, and Children’s…”). Others might know a few common signs of depression which can include: feelings of sadness or emptiness, and loss of interest or pleasure (“Anxiety, Depression and Children’s…”). Perhaps, they could also know about different types of depression or even a few treatments for it such as psychotherapy and medications (“Depression (Major Depressive Disorder)”).
This general understanding that some have is a great point at which to begin, however, this definition is only the tip of an exceedingly complex iceberg that must be fully uncovered. Often, in depression discourse, it is forgotten that real people are affected in ways that cannot be imagined and that they are more than just a statistic. For example, depression for Shana, a single mother who recently lost her child, was crying, moving states, drinking alcohol and hiding her emotions from her family (“Shana’s story”). For John Williams, when he was eight years old, depression was “migraine headaches … and increasingly intense anxiety about school,” (Williams). For teenager Faith-Ann depression was intentionally harming herself to relieve stress while the rest of her family was silently asleep (Schrobsdorff).
This daunting reality showcases only a few struggles that many people endure on a daily basis; statistics conveying recent trends are just as alarming. For example, a study by the National Institute of Mental Health found that in 2019, the percent population of teenagers in the U.S. who had experienced at least one episode of major depression was more than double than that of adults (“Major Depression”). Of those adolescents, 71% had a severe impairment, or something “that interfere[d] with or limit[ed] one’s ability to carry out major life activities,” (“Major Depression”). This means that an estimated 2.7 million adolescents in the United States could not even function because of a treatable disease because they didn’t know about it or because they were too scared to speak up. Additionally, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 57% of adolescents didn’t receive treatment for their depression and the rate of suicide for those of ages 10 to 24 increased by nearly 60% between 2007 and 2018 (“Anxiety, Depression and Children’s Mental Health”). Despite the numerous available statistics that portray this tragedy, many people are still in denial that depression exists and that it is a problem (Goldman et al.). Critics often argue that teenagers these days are ‘soft’, lazy, just seeking attention, or even lying for easier treatment from society, however, these misapprehensions are incorrect.
Today’s teenagers have grown up in an environment that is perfect for “churn[ing] out really angsty people,” according to Janis Whitlock, director of the Self Injury and Recovery program at Cornell University (qtd. in Schrobsdorff). These teens “hit puberty at a time when technology and social media were transforming society,” (Schrobsdorff). This has proven harmful in the lives of such susceptible, emotionally unstable people. Adolescents today have only known a world post-9-11 and an era of economic and national insecurity – from watching their parents struggle through a recession, to great tensions between many countries such as North Korea, Israel, Iraq and the rest of the world. They have grown up in an environment where school shootings, terrorism, and divisiveness over a broad range of issues are the societal norms. These factors have created the unhealthy environment of fear, anxiety, societal pressure, and constant debate that is known today. This unhealthy environment has had intolerable effects on everyone, but especially on teens as this is all they have known in their short lives.
A myriad of studies have supported the ideologies behind this tragic reality by simply showing the trend of increasing major depressive episodes and depression diagnoses of adolescents in comparison to adults. For example, a study from 2016 published in the peer-reviewed Pediatrics journal found that the increase in major depressive episodes for adolescents from the years 2004 to 2011 was more than three times that of adults for that same timeframe (Mojtabai et al.). Another study found that “the number of 13 to 18-year-olds who committed suicide jumped 31 percent,” from 2010 to 2015 (Twenge).
The causes of depression are evident, however, it is still not known why depression continues to grow rapidly. Plenty of theories as to why depression has grown in such great numbers generally lean towards the idea that this generation is extremely different than that of previous ones. Jean Twenge, a professor of psychology at San Diego State University, concluded after analyzing numerous studies and surveys, such as from the Harvard Business Review, that the increase in depression can be directly connected to the smartphone. Twenge came to this conclusion when analyzing all of the data because all factors that were available were eliminated from correlation as they remained stagnant. Not surprisingly, the smartphone use and ownership among teens saw a large spike at the same time that depression saw a large spike in diagnoses.
Newport Academy, a top-rated adolescent rehab center that treats mental health issues, suggests that social media and academic pressure is to blame in addition to smartphone use for the rising depression and suicide rates. Newport concludes: “Today’s teens have fewer coping skills [for depression]. Parents try to shield them from experiencing failure and disappointment.” Newport argues parents are shielding students from academic failure and social media hardships so they, therefore, have fewer coping skills. In turn, adolescents do not know how to deal with depression, therefore contributing to this spike in depression diagnoses and suicides. This further demonstrates the necessity of depression education since depression’s effects could be mitigated or more properly handled if there were a common knowledge of symptoms, treatment and how to get help.
In addition to increased smartphone usage, social media, and academic pressure, there is still a stigma around depression in our society that has contributed to the continuation of depression’s growth. Meredith Coles, Ph.D., and professor of psychology ascertains: “The stigma associated with mental illness and treatment still exists, and is still a significant barrier in the way of more people seeking treatment for problems they face.” This is due largely in part to social media and entertainment portraying depression in a negative light, as though it is something that someone should be ashamed of. Often, the media contribute to this stigma through the “exaggerated, inaccurate, and comical images they use to portray persons with psychiatric disorders as well as by providing incorrect information about mental illness,” (Srivastava). This culture still shows depression as a weakness and not an illness that can and should be treated; no treatment can lead to self-harm and suicide, egregious outcomes that need to be prevented.
In this stigma, suicide, a tragic event often caused by depression, can also be erroneously glorified. For instance, a very popular television show that swept the nation recently, 13 Reasons Why, left many health experts and school districts in great fear of what teenagers would do next. Experts warned that the show reveres suicide as a means to “get back at people,” and that it would “leave survivors with a horrifying burden of guilt,” (Rosenblatt). This frightened experts because it portrayed suicide as a “romanticized fantasy,” which proved to be extremely risky for depressed teenagers already on the verge of suicide. This portrayal of suicide as a spiteful and rebellious way to get back at all of one’s enemies was damaging to the stigma around depression because it glorified taking one’s life.
Currently, many activists are fighting to destroy the stigma around depression by campaigning for increased education of the issue. Many critics argue that what our society is currently doing for mental health education is enough, this is inaccurate. Until 2018, state governments had no requirements for mental health education in schools whatsoever (“School Mental Health Education”). While these requirements are an instrumental step in the right direction, many states do not have requirements in regards to teaching mental health and the ones that do vary in their standards (Rivera). Shockingly, nothing is required by the federal government of teachers to even mention the broad topic of mental health issues (Vestal). This lack of a requirement that mental illness is taught in schools is appalling and detrimental to the health of students because they do not naturally know crucial concepts for understanding of the topic.
A possible solution to the increasing diagnoses of depression and lack of depression education would be to include a curriculum covering mental health in the courses that already exist. It is already required in a majority of states that “lessons on tobacco, drugs and alcohol, cancer detection and safe sex,” be taught (Vestal). Even adding at least a few days covering the topic of mental health to these classes would be worthwhile; however, since mental health is a very complex topic, more time would be ideal. In these classes, students should be informed what depression is, what the symptoms are, how it is treated and how other figures in their lives can help. In order to accomplish this, teachers should be required to take an informational course on depression; this would help in teaching depression, as well as recognizing depression. This is instrumental because “mental health treatment is much more effective if the disease is caught early,” (Vestal). If the students understand the workings of themselves, they will better know their limits and what makes them happy and what to avoid, etc. to help prevent depression.
Furthermore, education should be available for parents as well as students. As it would be difficult to require parents to go back to school, courses should be offered by schools and strongly recommended for parents, but not required as this is unrealistic. Courses for parents would be focused on the prevention of depression, the symptoms of depression, early intervention of depression and how to deal with childhood depression. These courses will help to counteract the rising rates of depression diagnoses by informing parents what they can do to remove as many environmental factors as possible that cause depression.
With this new awareness of depression, both students and parents will be more readily prepared for and able to notice symptoms of depression so they can catch it early and help prevent a tragedy. In addition, we can help to finally eliminate the stigma around depression in our society altogether. Society will have a newfound judgment and fear-free environment for students and others to speak up more about their struggles with depression and finally receive the help that they deserve. There are no misconceptions here— it’s easy, just ‘snap out of it’ and don’t ignore it. And whatever you do, keep the conversation going― depression is a real problem.
Works Cited
“Anxiety, Depression and Children’s Mental Health | CDC.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 22 Mar. 2021, www.cdc.gov/childrensmentalhealth/depression.html.
Curtis, Sally. “National Vital Statistics Reports.” State Suicide Rates Among Adolescents and Young Adults Aged 10–24: United States, 2000–2018, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Vital Statistics System, 11 Sept. 2020, https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr69/nvsr-69-11-508.pdf.
“Depression (Major Depressive Disorder).” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 3 Feb. 2018, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/depression/symptoms-causes/syc-20356007.
Goldman, Larry, et al. “Awareness, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Depression.” Journal of General Internal Medicine, Blackwell Science Inc, Sept. 1999, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1496741/.
“Major Depression.” National Institute of Mental Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Oct. 2021, www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/major-depression.shtml.
Mojtabai, Ramin, et al. “National Trends in the Prevalence and Treatment of Depression in Adolescents and Young Adults.” Pediatrics, American Academy of Pediatrics, 1 Dec. 2016, pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/138/6/e20161878.
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Rosenblatt, Kalhan. “Does Netflix’s ’13 Reasons Why’ Glorify Suicide? These Experts Say ‘Yes’.” NBCNews.com, NBCUniversal News Group, 22 Apr. 2017, www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/tv/netflix-series-13-reasons-why-glorifies-suicide-mental-health-experts-n749551.
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Schrobsdorff, Susanna. “Teen Depression and Anxiety: Why the Kids Are Not Alright.” Time, Time, 27 Oct. 2016,
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Srivastava, Kalpana, et al. “Media and Mental Health.” Industrial Psychiatry Journal, Medknow Publications & Media Pvt Ltd, 2018, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6198586/.
Twenge, Jean. “Teenage Depression and Suicide Are Way up – and so Is Smartphone Use.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 19 Nov. 2017, https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/teenage-depression-and-suicide-are-way-up–and-so-is-smartphone-use/2017/11/17/624641ea-ca13-11e7-8321-481fd63f174d_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.076ecc1c18e6.
Vestal, Christine. “Many Recommend Teaching Mental Health in Schools. Now Two States Will Require It.” The Pew Charitable Trusts, 15 June 2018, www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2018/06/15/many-recommend-teaching-mental-health-in-schools-now-two-states-will-require-it.
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