T.K. Maureen Empfield Understanding Teenage Depression example essay topic

Depression is one of the hot issues for our community today. Depression is a term that people usually use to refer to states involving dejection, sadness, lack of self-esteem, and lack of energy. Depression is one of the most ordinary and serious mental conditions in the United States today. Many people overlook depression which can be unsafe. There were a number of deep research projects has been done in that field of psychology.

This paper will discuss three of them: the work of Maureen Empfield Understanding Teenage Depression: A Guide to Diagnosis, Treatment, and Management, Raymond Ross Psychological Measurement of Anxiety and Depression, and Helping Your Child Cope With Depression and Suicidal Thoughts by Patrol, P.G. and Shampoo, T.K. Maureen Empfield Understanding Teenage Depression: A Guide to Diagnosis, Treatment, and Management It is shocking to know how many adolescents actually do suffer from this disease, as Maureen Empfield M.D. explains in his Understanding Teenage Depression: A Guide to Diagnosis. Maureen Empfield conclude that as many as eight percent of adolescents suffer from depression at some time during any one year period, making it much more common than for example, eating disorders, which seem to get more attention as a source of adolescent misery. Parents of adolescents need to recognize symptoms in their child to get him or her the help he or she needs. If it is caught early enough, there is a good chance of curing it (Empfield, 18).

In the second section of the research, Maureen Empfield dwell on adolescents that suffer from depression are more likely to give in to peer pressure and take up bad habits. These can all be warning signs to look for in the majority of teenagers. Genetics and environmental factors seem to play a big role in causing depression. Research has indicated that genetics do play a role.

"Adolescents are five times as likely to suffer from depression when someone in their family has suffered from it in the past" (Empfield 54). Another major cause of depression according to Empfield are traumatic events. Depression usually follows the death of a loved one, a sickness, near death experiences, or any types of physical and sexual abuse. It is normal to feel depressed after any of these, however, many times they feel hopeless or suicidal. Depression is evident if depressed symptoms persist more than two or three months after a traumatic episode.

Another big problem and cause of depression in adolescents is stress. The ages of fourteen through nineteen are very important in this issue. These are the ages when homework starts to get tough, teachers are hard on students about grades, peer pressure with friends, relationships, and trying to fit in occur. Empfield explains this. Teenagers after a first episode of depression are more likely to have behavior problems, excessive emotional reliance on others, and more physical health problems than others. They appear to be left with psychological scars (Empfield, 41).

Raymond Ross Psychological Measurement of Anxiety and Depression Raymond Ross in his Psychological Measurement of Anxiety and Depression dwell on symptoms of depression. Raymond Ross think that to diagnose a person with depression, he or she must experience certain symptoms for at least two or more weeks. Raymond Ross describes many of the symptoms associated with depression. Some symptoms include a persistent low mood that doesnt lift, oversensitivity, isolation from friends and family, difficulty with attention, difficulty sleeping, gain or loss in weight, and low self esteem (Ross, 29). These may seem like everyday emotions for most people. However, in depressed people they are more extreme.

They also last for long periods of time, many up to a year. Ross comments on this. Its not just that one in 30 young people between the ages of 14 and 16 get depression. Somewhere between one in six and one in ten of those young people will have that depression for at least two years (Ross, 62).

Other behaviors that should be watched for are: irritability, aggression, restlessness, and withdrawing. The person usually become highly emotional and avoid relationships with the opposite sex. Depressed adolescents frequently use alcohol, smoke cigarettes, or use drugs to make themselves feel better. Suicide is the worst consequence of untreated depression. Empfield supports that suicide is occurring too often. For adolescents, suicide is the third leading cause of death just behind car accidents and homicide (Empfield, 41).

Almost all adolescents who try or do commit suicide were heavily depressed. About half of the depressed population of adolescents have thoughts about committing suicide or wanting to die, even if they dont carry it out (Empfield 62). Suicide is the cause of major depression in teens. It is the most important reason why depression needs to be taken seriously. Even though depression is more common among girls, it should not be overlooked in boys. More girls than boys attempt to kill themselves each year, however, more boys actually succeed..