Depression in Young People

Depression in Young People
Depression is a serious mental health condition that is often overlooked and under treated. It has been shown to be one of the main causes of illness and disability in teens. Statistics from the World Health Organization show that mental health problems cause 16% of all illnesses and injuries in people between the ages of 10 and 19 (WHO, 2020). If this problem isn’t taken care of early on, it has a big effect on the physical and mental health of these teens as they grow up. So, they have few things to do and end up having lives that don’t make them happy. In this study, the problem of depression in teens is talked about, and the important epidemiological and demographical factors are looked at.

Description of the trouble

Teenage years are a crucial time for growth, and it’s during this time that healthy habits that are good for your body and mind are formed. These habits will help you live a healthy life in the long run. But efforts to find this balance haven’t worked perfectly because WHO estimates that 10 to 20% of teenagers around the world have mental health problems that aren’t properly identified or treated (WHO, 2020). One in six kids and teens between the ages of 10 and 19 has a mental health problem. Depression is one of the main causes of injuries and illnesses, but suicide is the third leading cause of morbidity among teenagers, especially those between the ages of 15 and 19 (WHO, 2020).

Depression is a big problem for people, their families, and their towns. Because of this, more people get sick and die, which hurts the quality of life. The economic weight of depressive disorders is also shown by the fact that they cost $71 billion in the United States (Winerman, 2017). This is according to the American Psychological Association. So, this paper looks at the trends in sadness among teens and the health effects that come with it. The goal is to find the best ways to deal with the problem.

History of the problem and why it’s important

Most of the time, sadness is a big problem for teenagers in middle-income and low-income countries. WHO (2020) says that between 10 and 20% of teenagers around the world have mental health problems. About 3.2 million 12- to 17-year-olds in the United States have had at least one major depressive episode. This is equivalent to 13.3% of this group of people in the U.S. (NIMH, 2017). The number of people who have a major depressive episode is 11.9% in Arkansas, which is close to the national number. This shows what about 28,000 teenagers in Arkansas are like.When sadness in teens goes untreated and undiagnosed, it can cause a number of serious problems. Depression makes people more likely to hurt themselves or make themselves sick. People who have been labeled with depressive disorder also have a high chance of killing themselves.

Depression in teens has a number of important effects. First, managing and treating depression costs money, which adds to the economic weight of the country. (Winerman, 2017) The American Psychological Association says that $71 billion is spent each year to treat depressive illnesses. Second, sadness is linked to a lot of teens not going to school and doing poorly in school. Education is an important part of growing up because it has a big impact on how financially stable someone will be in the future. Without the right schooling, teens are more likely to become depressed as adults and have a hard time finding happiness. If sadness isn’t taken as seriously as it should be, these effects and risks can make teens less productive and, as a result, lower their quality of life.

Analysis of how diseases spread

The DSM-5 diagnostic criteria say that a person is depressed if they have five or more signs of depression, at least one of which is a sad mood or a loss of interest in things they used to enjoy, and they have had these symptoms for at least two weeks. WHO (2020) says that between 10 and 19-year-olds, mental health problems account for 16% of the total number of diseases and injuries in the world. On a world scale, it is thought that 10 to 20% of teenagers have mental health problems. (NIMH, 2017) Nearly 3.2 million 12–17-year-olds in the U.S. have had at least one major depressive episode. This number is the same as 13.3%. In Arkansas, 11.9% of teenagers have had a major depressive episode, which is the same as 28 000 teens (NIMH, 2017).

Healthy People (2020) says that from 2015 to 2018, data have shown a steady rise in the link between where you live and the number of major depressive episodes. In 2018, the rate of prevalence in non-urban areas was 14.6%, while the rate in metropolitan areas was 14.4%. In 2017, 13.4% of people lived outside of a metropolitan area, while 13.2% lived in a metropolitan area. Also, 14.8% (Healthy People, 2020) of those with a major depressive episode were found to have private insurance. In recent years, more women than men have been having big depressive episodes. According to the most recent data from 2018, 21.5% of women had a major depressive episode, while only 7.7% of men did (Healthy People, 2020).

How HP 2020 is used

The goal of HP 2020 is to lower the number of people who have major depressive episodes (MDEs). Getting a handle on the high-priority health problems, as shown by the leading health indicators (LHI), is a big part of reaching this goal. Since mental health is one of the most important health problems, one of the things that are done to reach this goal is to screen teens for MDD. This goal is related to the health problem that teenagers have a lot of big depressive episodes. Screening and diagnosis done on time will lead to faster care and better health in the long run.

The USPSTF says that there is enough evidence to show that screening tools for depression can correctly diagnose major depressive disorder in 12–18-year-olds, even in primary care settings (USPSTF, 2016). The screening is very likely to be correct because the USPSTF has found proof that there is a moderate benefit to treating MDD in teens after screening. Some of the benefits are less severe depression and its symptoms, as well as better overall performance (USPSTF, 2016). But this screening method can only be used on people between the ages of 12 and 18. It has not been shown to be safe for people under 11 years old.

Planning actions at the population level

At the moment, adolescent screenings are done once a year to check for emotional and behavioral issues. As part of the Bright Futures program of the American Academy of Pediatrics, several health care sites have started doing this. Also, the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment program from Medicaid’s child health section has been added to several mental health facilities, even in Florida, where screening, diagnosis, and treatment are done at the right times for those who are eligible. Data about all of the procedures are kept on electronic media, where they are easy to find for follow-up procedures, keeping track of the results, and doing more study.

References

Behavioral Health Barometer: Arkansas, 2015 SAMHSA. Retrieved from https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/2015_Arkansas_BHBarometer.pdf

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). (2017). Major Depression. Retrieved from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/major-depression.shtml

U.S. Task Service Preventive Force (USPSTF). (2016). Depression in Children and Adolescents: Screening. Retrieved from https://uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/document/RecommendationStatementFinal/depression-in-children-and-adolescents-screening

Winerman Lea. (2017). By the numbers: The Cost of Treatment. American Psychological Association. Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/monitor/2017/03/numbers

World Health Organization (WHO). (2020). Adolescent Mental Health. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/adolescent-mental-health

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