Mental Health Care For Depression In Children

Because of the internal nature of mental health as well as the negative stigma attached to those who suffer with mental health issues, the public may not realize how serious the problem really is. Over one in every five children and adolescents suffers from some kind of mental health disorder (Taras & Young). This is an astounding amount of children who affected by these issues. Given the significant effects these disorders can have on people, it is necessary that those with mental health issues receive proper care. However, there are an astounding number of children who are not getting the treatment they need. It is reported that out of all children who suffer from mental health issues, only twenty-one percent of them receive the necessary
services. Considering that mental health disorders, namely anxiety and depression, can have devastating effects if left untreated, this could be disastrous/detrimental for the nearly 80% of people not receiving treatment. . There are several obstacles which can prevent people from getting the health care they need, but there is a way to improve the way mental health care benefits children and adolescents. Due to the prevalence of depression and anxiety in children and the negative effects they have, it is important that there is an increase in understanding and availability of school-based mental health programs.
One can understand the great needs for mental health care for depression through examining the high prevalence depression has throughout the world.
According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), the risk of developing depression during the course of one’s lifetime is roughly seventeen percent. This is a significant number which shows warrants need for greater mental health care. In 2014, nearly 16 million adults in the United States “...had experienced at least one major depressive episode’ in the past year…”, representing nearly seven percent of adults in America (ADAA). This is an especially important statistic because it is reported that “One-half of all lifetime diagnosable mental health conditions begin by the age of 14.” (Morissette, Melissa, et. al). Better intervention and mental health care for children and adolescents can come to benefit millions of American adults in the future as well. According to Pippa Wysong, a member of the Canadian Science Writers’ Association, one-eighth of all teenagers suffer from clinical depression, impacting roughly two and a half million people under 18 in the United States. Because of the debilitating consequences of depression, a staggering amount of teenagers are negatively affected nationwide. Over 2 million teenagers “...report experiencing depression that impairs their daily function.”
(Schrobsdorff).
There are countless physical negative effects, both immediate and long-term which can significantly impact those who have depression. This mental health disorder is characterized by the ADAA as “...a condition in which a person feels discouraged, sad, hopeless, unmotivated, or disinterested in life in general.”, noting that it likely becomes “...a major depressive episode…” when these dismal feelings remain for longer than two weeks. Teenagers with depression may begin to use and abuse substances such as alcohol or drugs as a way to try to ease their symptoms, though such substance abuse will likely have an inverse effect (Butler). This substance abuse could develop into significantly worse complications, specifically “...liver damage, kidney failure, and death by accidental overdose.” (Gutowski). Self-harm is another outlet teenagers may use in an attempt to discharge the overwhelming emotions and feelings they experience (Schrobsdorff). When these teenagers are not given the care they need, it can debilitate their lives in the long-term future as well. It is reported that mental health disorders which are not treated can “...lead to higher rates of juvenile incarcerations.” as well as higher rates of unemployment and family dysfunction (Schrobsdorff). These effects can put limits on a teenager’s potential to have a successful life. Those with untreated and chronic depression may die up to 25 years earlier than the average person, due to substance abuse and the long-term effects the brain’s chemical imbalances have on the body- cardiovascular damage, stress to blood vessels and arteries, and inability of the central nervous system to function properly (Gutowski).
Depression can be detrimental to a student’s academic performance. Depression can impact students’ abilities to concentrate in school and keep their energy levels high, which in turn can cause them to have poorer school attendance (Butler). Lower attendance has the potential to cause the students’ grades to plummet. Along with these effects, depression also has the ability to cause students to have “...an increase in getting into trouble with school [personnel]” (Butler).
Social activity is another element of a teenager’s life which can be severely impacted by depression. Because depression is caused by an imbalance or lack of chemicals in the brain- namely serotonin, a chemical which causes people to be happy and social- people may not participate in hobbies and activities which they enjoyed in the past (Gutowski). Depression can often give teenagers negative feelings about their worthlessness and inabilities, potentially causing “some depressed teens [to] isolate themselves and begin spending all their time on the internet” in an attempt to escape their turmoil (Butler). This social inactivity has the potential to harm the teenager in other aspects of his or her life as well. Depression, when left untreated, can have even worse consequences. As Iva Gutowski, a practicing nurse with health care experience since 2001, states, “It is not uncommon for people with untreated depression to stay in bed all day, miss days or even weeks of work, and stop participating in family activities.” Untreated depression can also eventually lead to complete social withdrawal (Gutowksi). These effects show how important it is for teenagers to receive mental health care to treat their problems in order to eliminate the possibility of such devastating consequences.
The high prevalence of Anxiety in teenagers is another subject which shows the need for an increase of school-based mental health programs.
It is reported that over 25 percent of 13 to 18 year olds are affected by some kind of anxiety disorder (National Institute of Mental Health). This means millions of adolescents are negatively impacted by these mental health issues in their daily lives. However, some experts believe that these statistics “...are on the low end of what’s really happening…”, because there are many who do not go to receive care for their anxiety (Schrobsdorff). It is critical that there is an increased availability of school-based mental health programs because it has been estimated that 80 percent of adolescents who have some kind of diagnosable anxiety disorder are not getting treatment (ADAA). This is a breathtaking number of kids who do not receive care, which in turn exposes them to the negative consequences that accompany
anxiety.
There are a number of physical effects which can coincide with anxiety. Several different types of anxiety disorders exist; however, likely the most common one is Generalized Anxiety Disorder (ADAA).