Screening's Negative Effects On Children

In today’s society depression in schooling has increasingly gotten worse. Over the years more children have been diagnosed with depression and other problems throughout the schools.While some people believe screening impacts children negatively, others see it as a strategic way to diagnose children. Therefore screening for depression has a positive impact on resolving problems with depression. Screenings are beneficial, while if not treated for depression quickly it could lead to the depression becoming worse than it started off as.Screenings are a beneficial way to help detect depression at any point in time to help seek attention, to help with the problems the individual maintains mentally. Early detection of depression through
the use of screenings is essential to providing help for children diagnosed with depression. The quicker the detection of depression, the easier it is to find a treatment for their certain disorder. Many teens often suffer in silence in fear of what might happen if diagnosed.However, King & Vidourek state “ Early detection of depression and suicidal warning signs is critical to effective intervention.” ( King & Vidourek pg 18 ) While it is still possible to assist someone who hasn't been diagnosed at the early stages of their depression, it is a lot harder if a child is tested at a young age. Most depression signs are shown in teens and can be treated if the depression signs can be brought to the attention of those around them. With school screenings it is easier to detect such depression signs. The text also states “Screening for depression is appropriate because earlier diagnosis affects outcomes, and effective screening tools and treatments are available.”(Chung & Frances pg 6 ) Screening for depression is a beneficial factor in treating for depression. If the depression is detected in an earlier state it will be much easier to find a treatment for than if detecting it years later. Since the screenings are able to detect depression in a faster pace. it is essential to developing a treatment for each person's unique depression. Many teens who are diagnosed with depression in early stages are able to get the treatment they need to lead normal lives.Overall, early detection of depression through the use of screenings is essential to providing teens and adults with the necessary treatment they will need to live ordinary lives. Depression doesn't just affect the person who has it but also affects those they choose to surround themselves with. The early detection can help teens with their social lives and keep them surrounded by positive people they will be able to turn to in case of a depressing sign. Early detection of diseases through the use of screenings is essential to finding treatment for teens with depression.
With screening being presented it has helped increase individual's social life.
Since these children have received screenings at an early stage, they were able to be treated quicker and were more open with things going on in their lives. The Kalafat states in their article “Youth Suicide Programs.” “Since we started routine screening in our practice, conversations with patients about emotional concerns have become more normalized. Clinicians have become more facile at accurately identifying and managing depression, and at helping teens and their families through normal ups and downs.(Kalafat pg 2)” The screenings have made the teens more open to what affects their everyday lives . The teens have also been able to have concerns they have brought to normal state that is equal to that of a normal teen. Screening has shown these teens that though they have depression they can be treated and helped by just opening up to loved ones around them. Some fear being treated and often take longer to open up but overall the teens express themselves to teachers and loved ones in order to feel safer. King and Vidourek state,
“Schools are encouraged to adopt a comprehensive depression/suicide prevention/intervention program which includes three components: 1) Primary prevention, including education, skill building, and protective factor promotion; 2) Secondary prevention, including early detection of warning signs and appropriate intervention; and 3) Tertiary prevention, including postvention
and appropriate follow­up to teen depression and suicide” (King & Vidourek pg. 18 ).

Some schools have created a three part prevention program in order to ensure that each student is given the proper treatment and is put on the right track when going through their treatment.
The first step in this three part program is to get the school and some teachers involved with helping the student who suffers depression achieve their goals just like a “normal” teen would. The second step is setting up a screening to confirm whether or not the teen truly suffers from depression or suffers from something else, or even nothing at all . The final step is to essentially follow the teens depression, in other words see if anything triggers their depression and if there is something that triggers it how to prevent it. The follow up is just to make sure that their treatment is working and will be able to assist the teen. Teachers and counselors , as well as parents , are the best people to talk to if diagnosed with depression. King & Vidourek also state, “In addition, teachers and parents should be encouraged to maintain open dialogue with their teens which can assist in early detection and subsequently early treatment. Adults and volunteers working with teens should use authoritative skills, offer support, be attentive and caring, set and enforce limits, and help teens to establish and achieve career/lifetime goals.” ( King & Vidourek pg. 18) Any adult influences in the teens life should be encouraged to talk openly to the children if they show any signs of depression.
Screenings are the main source of depression detections and are usually recommended by teachers and adults if a child shows signs of depression. By simply being there for the teen, it encourages them to try even harder and makes them feel like they don't suffer from depression. Openly talking to the children can also help them to decide future life paths in careers. Screenings make it so we can treat people faster and get them help they need from programs and other people in their lives. Screenings make it people are treated faster and get them help they need from programs and other people in their lives. Screenings provide teens with the ability to be diagnosed and treated. The text states “ The program, which costs $560,000 a year, is in 12 schools ­­about 10 percent of schools in the District­­ but program leaders say they get daily requests to expand. Matthew's mother, Susan, says his confidence improved dramatically and the now fifth grader isn't afraid to talk to adults or raise his hand in class. She agreed to let him be interviewed for this story. ( Kennedy pg. 3 )” Some treatments aren't specific to just one child,in this case the treatment program was made for 12 schools and benefited each in a different way. The program was originally set up to detect children with depression and later merged to also treat those diagnosed. This also boosted the child's confidence showing just how well the program works. Kennedy states “ Michelle Anderson said her son's third grade teacher at a Davenport, Iowa, elementary school referred him for a mental health screening in the community, where a psychiatrist diagnosed him with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and prescribed the 8­ year­ old Ritalin.” ( Kennedy pg. 4 ) Screenings detect other disorders besides depression, and often are able to find treatments for them as well. The school's involvement in the program is essential to detecting most signs of depression and other disorders. In Ritalin’s case, the School was able to refer him for a screening found in his community and was actually diagnosed with a disorder. Had the School not provided help, he may of not been diagnosed til a later stage in life which would affect his treatment. Screenings helps diagnose kids who have depression or other disorders. On the other hand there are those who believe it is a downfall to students being screened for mental illnesses, such as depression.The opposing text states “If left untreated, they can lead to substance abuse, school drop outs and difficulty maintaining steady jobs and relationships.” ( Kennedy pg 2) This is not a valid enough reason to stop screenings. Screenings are essential to the treatment. While this says if left untreated it can lead to substance abuse, screenings detect most disorders making it almost impossible to leave the disorder untreated. The treatments bring the relationships together so as long as the teen attends a screening to see if they have disorders they will be able to be treated. So frankly as long as the student attends a screening this can't happen. It's up to the child to get on top of it and attend a screening so they can receive treatment. Screenings have improved the mental state of many teens and has helped the individual develop techniques to fight against the depression problems that they face. But throughout each person's life they may have known someone that has had a problem with depression and the person themselves could have faced depression problems personally.