What is the third leading cause of death for teenagers and young adults those from 15 to 24 years old? If you said suicide then you are correct. What causes teenagers or young adults with an unlimited future ahead of them to choose suicide over life? The number one cause of suicide in the United States is depression. If you suspect your child is suffering from depression, don’t wait. Seek medical help and therapy right away. A federal government survey released on May 13, says that over two million teenagers in the U.S. suffered from a period of serious depression over the past year. Nearly three times as many girls are affected by depression as boys.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) reported that nearly nine percent of adolescents between 12 and 17 years old reported having an episode of major depression in the previous year. They questioned more than 67,700 of these adolescents about mood and depression using the Sheehan Disability Scale. The youths were asked to rate how depression affected their relationships, work, and school. The Youths suffering from depression typically showed an increase in episodes or severity, as they get older, according to data analyzed from 2004 to 2006.
A major depressive episode is defined as at least two weeks of a depressed mood, loss of interest, pleasure, and at least four other symptoms. Examples of other symptoms include having their sleep, energy, concentration, or self-image affected. The teenagers reported having at least one area of life severely impaired when suffering a major depressive episode. The worst cases reported not being able to function in their normal routines for nearly two months in the past year. Recent research indicates that severe depression may adversely affect growth and development.
Don’t be embarrassed about being wrong if you seek help for your child for depression. I would rather be wrong than have my child feeling suicidal. Years ago, I was concerned that my oldest daughter was suffering from depression. She was an adult at the time, and no longer living at home. We had adopted her as a 15 year old and she participated in several years of counseling while at home. I bribed her, that’s right; I offered her money to back to her trusted therapist to take a test that measures depression and suicidal tendencies. I can’t remember for sure, but I think I had to give her twenty dollars. Pretty cheap price actually to alleviate my concerns.
Photo Credit: 2008 Julia Fuller.
Sources:
Reuter’s Health
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Office of Applied Studies. (May 13, 2008). The NSDUH Report: Major Depressive Episode among Youths Aged 12 to 17 in the United States: 2004 to 2006. Rockville, MD.
SAMHSA, an agency in the Department of Health and Human Services, is the Federal Government’s lead agency for improving the quality and availability of substance abuse prevention, addiction treatment, and mental health services in the United States.