Depression And Suicide In Adolescents Essays - Depression

Depression And Suicide In Adolescents Depression and Suicide In Adolescents. As a state of extreme grief and all-encompassing sadness, depression, if left untreated, may lead to a deliberate murder of oneself, suicide. Depression effects individuals with out discriminating against race, gender, or age, yet among adolescents, the incidents of depression have increased significantly. Such increase is the potential cause of the rise of suicide rates amidst adolescents. Therefore it is imperative to treat depression before attempts of suicide are made, for if neglected, such attempts could become successful. Through out the years, adolescence has been regarded as the most confusing and difficult part of life, for teenagers deal not only with hormonal and bodily changes, but also with changes of their position in the society. Responsibilities for and ambiguities about the future, along with romantic relationships or alienation from such, are substantial causes of anxiety and stress to an adolescent. Teenagers today face problems different from those faced by teens of previous generations. Few of such problems are freedom, to engage in sexual activity and to abuse drugs, experiences in loss due to the soaring divorce rates, and the sense of loss of any kind of progress. Moreover, societal pressures to conform to an ideal physical model induce emotional distress onto young males and females. During adolescence teens thrive to find their identity and this identity is fragile and is threatened by fears of rejection, feelings of failure, and of being different. Commercialism of the favored loo ks and possessions may become unpleasant to a psychologically and emotionally stable individual, who does not posses the means advertised by the society. Such commercialism could be devastating to a less fortunate, in regards of monetary and psychical status, adolescent trying to find his or her identity. According to the researches of Herman-Stahl and Petersen, highly stressed adolescents display poor coping skills, low perceptions of efficacy, pessimism and withdrawal. Such combination of negative emotions may be concomitant of the depressive experience (Herman-Stahl and Petersen 1996). In other words, regardless of its source, stress is the leading cause of mental, otherwise called emotional or nervous, breakdowns, which in return can cause depression. Another highly effective factor of depression is the genetic predisposition. According to Garlson and Hatfield both simple depressive disorders and manic-depressive disorders are genetically transmitted (Garlson and Hatfield 290). Therefore if a teen is genetically predisposed to depressive symptoms, the surrounding society only adds onto the chances of such adolescent becoming mentally depressed. Depression itself, according to Multiscore Depression Inventory, assesses nine components such as low energy, cognitive difficulty, irritability, sad mood, guilt, low self-esteem, social introversion, pessimism and instrumental helplessness (Wilcox and Scatter, 1996). Thus withdrawal from social interaction and alienation of oneself, along with the nine components, is a sign of depression. As stated in The Journal of the American Medical Association, adolescent suicide may be a very different phenomenon than suicide among adults, particularly the elderly. Elderly people who commit suicide seem to be more likely to have a clear and sustained intent to do so. Young people, on the other hand, are impulsive and not particularly skilled in communication (Rosengberg, Mercy, Houk 1991). According to the American Journal of Community Psychology, suicidal rate has gone from 3.6 per 100,000 people in 1960 to 11.3 per 100,000 in 1988, whereas the rates have increased only slightly in the total population (Reifman and Windle 1995). Such high rise in suicide rates was partially influenced by the way suicide is viewed. In the current society, suicide, along with its attempts, is considered an evidence of a character flaw, rather than a result of a serious psychological disorder. Such ignorance is a significant cause of the alienation process which prevents an adolescent from seeking help. In fear of being regarded as weak and helpless, some teenagers take matters into their own hands, so it seems to them at that particular moment. This fear comes from the notion of the society on suicide being sinful and equivalent to murder, when in fact it is an act triggered by an illness. Moreover, according to the American Journal of Psychiatry there is growing evidence of an association between suicidal tendencies and a low level of the neurotransmitter serotonin. A