Teenage depression is becoming more prominent in Canadian society and people need to become more aware. According to a study done in 2013 “The total number of 12-19 year olds in Canada at risk for developing depression is a staggering 3.2 million.”(Canadian Mental Health Association [CMHA]). As well as research done by Teen Mental Health, “1 in 5 young people suffer from a mental illness, that’s 20 percent of our population but yet only about 4 percent of the total health care budget is spent on our mental health” (Teen Mental Health, 2014). We cannot escape this circumstance.
Canadian society needs to start looking more in-depth at the reasons or causes as to why teenagers are becoming depressed at such young ages, and what services are available …show more content…
Depression can occur due to of a combination of genes, brain chemistry and brain structure (Sutton, A. 2011). Research shows that changes in chemicals such as serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine; which are the three main chemicals related to mood and motivation that carry messages within the brain, result in depression (Beyond Blue, 2014). By looking at pictures of the brain, scientists can also see that the structure of the brain in people who have depression looks different than in people who do not (Sutton A, 2011). Sometimes teens experience depression from environmental and psychological issues such as stressful events that could include changing schools, parents’ divorce or death of a loved one. Changes to stress hormone levels have also been found in people with depression. Not only are there emotional symptoms of depression, it can also take a toll on one’s physical self, such as slower body movements, lack of eye contact, slowed speech, memory loss and self-harm. Drug and alcohol abuse is another major factor leading into depression, as well as something teens turn to while experiencing depression. A lot of people think depression is not a real disease, which could be the reason why so little is being done for teens dealing with this mental illness. Depression should be recognized just as …show more content…
Some teens with depression think that the only thing that can help them is anti-depressants but that is not true. In the documentary Lost and Found parents and teen’s spoke out about teenage depression, and the documentary also included Dr.Dubo who is a child and adolescent psychiatrist. Dr. Dubo stated, “It is difficult for parents to recognize teenage depression, most parents think mood swings and aggression are normal” (Dubo, Vasic, 2011). Since a lot of parents do not want to acknowledge or admit that their child is depressed it can become frustrating for the teen suffering from depression. Dr.Dubo also gave out the alarming statistic that there is a 10% risk of suicide in teen depression (Dubo, Vasic, 2011). Dubo also listed a lot of great ways teens can deal with their depression as an alternative to taking anti-depressants such as psychotherapy or counseling, cognitive behavior therapy, family therapy or support groups (Dubo, Vasic, 2011). Support groups are a great way for teenagers with depression to feel less alone, and it also helps them deal with the social stigma that mental illness such as depression has (Dubo, Vasic,
Canadian society needs to start looking more in-depth at the reasons or causes as to why teenagers are becoming depressed at such young ages, and what services are available …show more content…
Depression can occur due to of a combination of genes, brain chemistry and brain structure (Sutton, A. 2011). Research shows that changes in chemicals such as serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine; which are the three main chemicals related to mood and motivation that carry messages within the brain, result in depression (Beyond Blue, 2014). By looking at pictures of the brain, scientists can also see that the structure of the brain in people who have depression looks different than in people who do not (Sutton A, 2011). Sometimes teens experience depression from environmental and psychological issues such as stressful events that could include changing schools, parents’ divorce or death of a loved one. Changes to stress hormone levels have also been found in people with depression. Not only are there emotional symptoms of depression, it can also take a toll on one’s physical self, such as slower body movements, lack of eye contact, slowed speech, memory loss and self-harm. Drug and alcohol abuse is another major factor leading into depression, as well as something teens turn to while experiencing depression. A lot of people think depression is not a real disease, which could be the reason why so little is being done for teens dealing with this mental illness. Depression should be recognized just as …show more content…
Some teens with depression think that the only thing that can help them is anti-depressants but that is not true. In the documentary Lost and Found parents and teen’s spoke out about teenage depression, and the documentary also included Dr.Dubo who is a child and adolescent psychiatrist. Dr. Dubo stated, “It is difficult for parents to recognize teenage depression, most parents think mood swings and aggression are normal” (Dubo, Vasic, 2011). Since a lot of parents do not want to acknowledge or admit that their child is depressed it can become frustrating for the teen suffering from depression. Dr.Dubo also gave out the alarming statistic that there is a 10% risk of suicide in teen depression (Dubo, Vasic, 2011). Dubo also listed a lot of great ways teens can deal with their depression as an alternative to taking anti-depressants such as psychotherapy or counseling, cognitive behavior therapy, family therapy or support groups (Dubo, Vasic, 2011). Support groups are a great way for teenagers with depression to feel less alone, and it also helps them deal with the social stigma that mental illness such as depression has (Dubo, Vasic,