Schools should screen children and teenagers for signs of mental illness and suicidal tendencies, with a parents consent, because it may prevent disasters and the children and teenagers can get help before the problem escalates. “‘This screening can save many lives by catching problems early on. If suicidal tendencies and other issues that will cause a negative effect on a child later in life weren’t caught in time, we could lose so many innocent human beings. "Screening is a valuable way to proactively identify kids at risk of suicide. It allows kids to self-report to us what they are feeling and how they are feeling. You don 't see third- and fourth-graders walking into a counselor or principal 's office and saying: 'I feel bad. ' Middle-schoolers and high-schoolers don 't tend to seek out help. They don 't have the experience to know what is normal.’” (James Mazza, sirs.com, 1)
Some people say that children and teenagers should not be screened because a questionnaire isn’t going to tell you whether or not a teen has a mental illness. “‘If you do the screening, you must be aware of implications of screening and the effectiveness of treatment. The evidence for treatment of teenage depression is weak for both behavioral therapy and drug treatment.’… ‘Screening should also not be implanted until there is an adequate nondrug intervention available.’… ‘The screening may be pulling out kids who are vulnerable, but it puts the focus entirely on them.’” (Dr. Lawrence Diller, sirs.com, 2) “The growing use of screening has coincided with a rapid increase in the number of youngsters being prescribed powerful anti- psychotic medications such as Risperdal and Zyprexa that have not been specifically approved for use by children.” (sirs.com, 3) As you can see screening has caused a drastic increase in anti-depressants. Most people, who are against the screening, think it’s just for a boost in sales.
I believe schools should really screen teens because it helps catch problems early-on in life before it gets to the point where really bad things happen. This screening will save live, and help people to understand. I also believe that our school should offer it as well. It might be uncomfortable for kids, but if they answer truthfully, it will help them in the end.
Bibliography
http://sks.sirs.com/cgi-bin/hst-article-display?id=STX1202-0-6105&artno=0000297471&type=ART
http://sks.sirs.com/cgi-bin/hst-article-display?id=STX1202-0-6105&artno=0000277072&type=ART
Bibliography: http://sks.sirs.com/cgi-bin/hst-article-display?id=STX1202-0-6105&artno=0000297471&type=ART http://sks.sirs.com/cgi-bin/hst-article-display?id=STX1202-0-6105&artno=0000277072&type=ART
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