Young Mental Health by Amrita Tripathi

Author:Amrita Tripathi
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: null
Publisher: S&S India
Published: 2020-06-14T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 15

YOUNG DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY

As you will have gathered, there are many implications of Mental Health issues, some of which can be life-long, which is why we feel that early identification and intervention are so important. I do sometimes have people asking me, ‘Why are we identifying so many more disorders now?’ or even, ‘I never got diagnosed when I was young, and look I turned out okay’, and my response to this is that it’s not an ‘all or nothing conversation’ — our attempts to create awareness is not with the purpose to diagnose everyone but at the same time we cannot live in denial of existing mental health issues. It is helpful to re-frame this narrative, acknowledging the concern that lies at the heart of some of these statements and misconceptions.

It is extremely important for parents and even teachers to know how to have conversations about these issues, without minimising or dismissing them as trivial. We want to ensure children get the attention and help they might need early on, which can include support or intervention that helps address certain concerns that do not then lead to more serious challenges in their adult life.

The goal of this chapter is to help raise awareness about anxiety and depression in children and adolescents, and equip you with the tools you need, to have conversations about these pertinent issues without being in a rush to label others. A diagnosis needs to serve you and empower you- not the other way around.

We owe it to our younger generations to be more aware — and in my opinion, it is that awareness which is helping us notice and identify those who need help and support the most. I want to share some of the questions that often come up, which trouble parents. But keep in mind that these are indicative, and as I’ve mentioned before, not to be used for self-diagnosis!

ARE MOOD SWINGS A SIGN OF DEPRESSION?

Less than three decades ago, depression was seen as a predominantly adult disorder: children were considered developmentally immature to experience depressive disorders, and adolescent low mood was seen as part of ‘normal’ teenage mood swings. Developmental studies have been central in modifying that view. Few would now doubt the reality of child and adolescent depressive disorders, or that youth depression is associated with a range of adverse outcomes including social and educational impairments as well as both physical and mental health problems later in life.62

Depression is a mental health illness that affects how you feel, the way you think and how you act. Behaviour in children varies from one development stage to another. The challenge parents often face is to be able to differentiate in their child’s behaviour and understand whether it is just a phase that their child is going through or if there is a reason for concern.

It must be noted that only a medical practitioner can diagnose a mental health illness such as depression. Psychiatrists follow a manual called the DSM ie ‘Diagnostical Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders’ or the ‘International Classification of Diseases (ICD) .

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