Teenage Depression And Suicide

Depression and suicide has become a growing problem for teens in the past decade. Suicide rates have tripled and two thirds of the teen suicide victims suffered from depression (Portner). Schools, students, and parents can make a difference by staying alert and noticing the first signs of depression and effectively treating the illness with the help of professionals, parental guidance, and peers. One of the main reasons depression in students is so prevalent is because the lack of information and education about mental health. Even though depression is one of the most common mental illnesses that teens face, very few school systems consistently address this form of mental illness in their health curriculum. Also, students would feel less insecure …show more content…
A depressed teen may leave the house less and isolate himself from the rest of the family. Parents should take these thoughts into consideration when discussing the mental health of their child. The teen should always be involved in family activities and outings. If the child regularly refuses to leave the house or socialize, the parents should question their teen about his mental health. An additional responsibility of parents is to keep up with their teen’s academic performance. Depression in teens often leads back to high-stake testing and other school assignments (Portner). Teens should be able to have a tutor for classes they struggle with, and should avoid procrastinating on large assignments. While the student should take responsibility for managing time in his academics, parents should also keep them in check by encouraging and enforcing deadlines for schoolwork. Another common factor of teen depression is overscheduling (Wohlenhaus). Even though students should certainly be involved in after-school activities, mental health should never be sacrificed for any team, club, or group. If the teen is overscheduled, he or she will have less time to complete schoolwork, get sleep, and spend time with family and …show more content…
If a teen is depressed or suicidal, he or she will be more likely to open up to a friend rather than a parent or a teacher. While that itself is not a good thing, the friends could relay information to an adult about the mentally ill teen. Even if the depressed child does not want his friend to tell anyone, both teens must know what is at risk. Another example of the importance of a depressed teen’s friend is that he or she is simply someone to talk to. Some argue that a mentally ill person discussing their illness has a negative effect on his overall mental health, but that is incorrect. Studies have shown that teens are less likely to harm themselves if someone they trust disproves assumptions that the particular situation the child is in is impossible to resolve (Portner). Also, the depressed teen will not feel like he or she is being interviewed or interrogated, but rather just having a conversation. After conversing about such taboo and “deep” subjects, the teen will realize that someone is there for him. All of this results in another positive benefit: both teens would now have experience and better understand the concept of depression and suicide. Each of the teens would be more equipped to speak with others about suicidal thoughts and depression. Clark Flatt, whose son committed suicide, says “We aren’t trying to make