During the days of our forefathers, depression was a disorder that was only considered an ailment of adulthood, especially those above the age of 60. However, this notion is now long gone since more and more depression cases in children and young adults continue to rise by the day. Different researchers and doctors around the world have come up with a conclusion that depressions are another form of mental illness caused by various factors among people of all ages. More cases around the world continue to be recorded, and the disorder is now affecting a significant number of adolescents and children, especially of ages 3 to 17 years. People have not come into the reality of depression disorder in children despite the alarming rise in the number of affected children.
Additionally, awareness has not caught up with the rare rising numbers since most people have not yet come into terms of depression affecting children. Even most well-informed individuals still doubt it can affect children since they are mostly considered young and happy. Globally, depression in children and young adults is a serious medical condition that has been neglected and underrated despite its escalating rate. Therefore, parents, teachers and physicians need to consider and recognize depression as a significant issue for schools.
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Literature Review
Different studies in most parts of the world regarding the issue of depression disorder in children have continued to emerge with various authors and researchers having the same conclusion and evidence. Most children and young adults spend most of their time in schools and other social institutions, which points out that fact as a major point of interest. In other words, this means that if a student is developing signs of depression or stress, they will most likely consult the available physician within the school setting. These calls for desperate measures of assigning mental health professionals to schools and implement active school-based programs that are more likely to address the issue. According to Kern et al. (2017), there is a demanding need for implementing School-Based Mental Health Services (SBMHS) in all learning institutions. The reason for this claim is that the authors have proved that most signs and symptoms of depression start during school years and that it would be recommendable to start the healing process as soon as possible. Most youths are young and confused, and most are the times when they do not know who to approach or talk to when they are faced with challenges. Generally, this research looks into the symptoms of depression and the need to advocate for School-Based Mental Health Services (SBMHS) in schools.
Approximately 46% of students of ages 13 to 18 have been reported to show some signs of mental illness at some point, with 20% reporting severe mental disorder (Kern et al., 2017). Most of these cases are reported from countries and communities with significant poverty levels, which causes stress from social concerns. Bernaras, Jaureguizar, and Garaigordobil (2019) also conquered that mental health services in schools will provide not only integrative care but also improve educational achievements and performance in schools. The authors also agree that depression in children is no different from that of adults and that the treatment process is the same. Additionally, the authors also state that biological and negative interpersonal relations with the environment are the primary contributors to depression in children. The symptoms of depression vary depending on emotions and behavior in teenagers. This means that changes in emotions and behavior should be an alarming call towards an early case of depression. In addition, poor relationship between students and teachers is also another cause of depression among children and thus proper training need to be provided to teachers and staff in regards to the handling of the students. With well trained teachers, it will be easier for them to note any emotional or behavioral changes among students’ hence early identification and treatment of depression.
In another research conducted by Ghandour et al., (2019) in the aim of determining the prevalence and treatment of depression among US children has shown that a significant percentage of children in the report were in one way or the other depressed. The study method applied in this study involved reviewing and analyzing data from the 2016 National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH) report regarding the issue among children of ages 3 to 17 years. The analysis method used was bivariate analysis, which was applied in examining the prevalence of condition as well as treatment method and progress. Approximately 80% of all the children with depression cases received treatment in comparison with other cases like anxiety and conduct problems. This is an indication that schools are at the risk of facing depression-based challenges which can be contained and controlled through School-Based Mental Health Services (SBMHS). Werner-Seidler et al. (2017) also stresses this fact in the research conducted to determine how effective school-based programs play the role of preventing depression among youths. The method involved going through the Medline, PsycINFO, and the Cochrane Library were thoroughly searched on cases of depression among 5 to 19 years of age. The study results indicated that school-based programs have a higher possibility of preventing and reducing potential mental health issues.
Discussion
All the above studies try to point out that depression is there among youths, and prevention measures need to be implemented at the school level, which is where children spend most of their time. Depression disorder among children is mostly accompanied by stigmatization and prejudices, as well as social disapproval, which continues to make matters worse. In such cases, school-based mental health programs will be of significant assistance in ensuring both treatment and counselling services are offered ( Selph, & McDonagh, 2019). The studies all seem to agree that depression among children has been on the rise and that implementation of School-Based Mental Health Services (SBMHS) is one of the many ways this issue can be controlled. The programs will also provide room for learning the causes of depression among children and start by addressing them. Another theory explaining the increasing cases of depression among young adults has been raised by Hoge, Bickham, & Cantor, (2017), who linked depression with the increase and availability of digital devices. The ever-growing emergence of technological devices has been proven to have a high impact on teenagers' emotional behaviour and well-being, especially in terms of anxiety, fear, and depression. Particularly, social media has been a field for cyberbullying and trolling, which leads to depression and suicidal thoughts among teenagers. However, in some instances, digital media is used to improve mood through social interactions (Hoge, Bickham, & Cantor, 2017). The outcomes presented in the studies are based on facts and evidence from different methods. Further studies are also recommended to evaluate better how social media can be used to prevent depression and promote better health outcomes.
Conclusion and Recommendations
The researchers have been able to prove that depression is far beyond feeling sad or down or mood less; it is more complex, and if not taken care of, can cause serious mental health problems. It is more of a low and sad state where life seems to be darker, with significant challenges coming your way. Depression can affect people of all ages but more recently seemed to be rising among children, which can lead to other serious health problems such as chronic diseases. Some of the most common symptoms include irritable mood and sadness, lack of pleasure in all activities, insomnia, or sleeping too much. These symptoms prove that depression is beyond being sad but a mental health problem that should be taken seriously and immediately. The notion of the adolescent stage is what makes the issue of depression under looked making most of the teenagers to suffer in silence resulting in suicide and other health complications. This is the stage where these young people need more help, as they tend to face various social challenges in almost every corner. Parents, teachers, and mental health service providers need to work together to ensure that the adolescent stage is not confused with depression and that any symptom which will arise will be taken care of as early as the point of notice.
All learning institutions are recommended to implement mental health programs in schools that will serve as the primary part of the solution. Additionally, they should provide psychological support with encouraging messages to the depressed that their condition is treatable and that they can be offered help as much as they are willing to be helped. Schools need to be at the frontline to fight against depression among children since it is also the place that they spend most of their time. Therefore, mental health programs that are targeting to offer prevention and intervention services require a thorough implementation to provide services to depressed students. Finally, further studies are also recommended to improvise more ideas towards programs that will be introduced to the school in the fight against mental disorders in children.
References
Ghandour, R. M., Sherman, L. J., Vladutiu, C. J., Ali, M. M., Lynch, S. E., Bitsko, R. H., & Blumberg, S. J. (2019). Prevalence and treatment of depression, anxiety, and conduct problems in US children. The Journal of pediatrics, 206, 256-267.
Kern, L., Mathur, S. R., Albrecht, S. F., Poland, S., Rozalski, M., & Skiba, R. J. (2017). The need for school-based mental health services and recommendations for implementation. School Mental Health, 9 (3), 205-217.
Bernaras, E., Jaureguizar, J., & Garaigordobil, M. (2019). Child and adolescent depression: a review of theories, evaluation instruments, prevention programs and treatments. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 543.
Hoge, E., Bickham, D., & Cantor, J. (2017). Digital media, anxiety, and depression in children. Pediatrics, 140 (Supplement 2), S76-S80.
Werner-Seidler, A., Perry, Y., Calear, A. L., Newby, J. M., & Christensen, H. (2017). School-based depression and anxiety prevention programs for young people: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology Review , 51, 30-47.
Selph, S. S., & McDonagh, M. S. (2019). Depression in Children and Adolescents: Evaluation and Treatment. American Family Physician, 100 (10), 609-617.
