Adolescent Depression
Despite the prevalence of depression in society, thousands of those that suffer with the disease remain undiagnosed. Because the disease does not manifest any blatant physical symptoms, it is commonly overlooked in a number of patient populations. This is overtly clear when it comes to adolescents. An Adolescent Depression Research Paper notes that "evidence indicates that full-blown depression in children and adolescents is increasing in incidence and often is overlooked as a cause of behavioral and other problems".Paper Masters can compose a custom written research paper on Adolescent Depression that follows your guidelines.
Adolescent Depression on the Rise
As the number of adolescents with depressive disorder continues to rise, the need for treatment interventions becomes of paramount concern. The National alliance on Mental Illness further notes that "Major depressive disorder and dysthymic disorder are common recurrent conditions in this age-group. These disorders are often accompanied by the following:
- Significant psychosocial problems
- Comorbid conditions
- A high risk of suicide
- Substance abuse
Given the unique circumstances under which adolescent depression develops, designing treatment interventions that are specific to this population is also a pertinent concern.
In an attempt to address the issues associated with adolescents and depression, it seems that a number of recent treatment interventions have been designed to preempt the development and onset of the disease. Several researchers now believe that by targeting adolescent populations and providing health and mental health interventions before situations become critical, the potential for developing depression and other mental health or physical health problems is greatly reduced.
Adolescent Depression and Intervention
In addition to designing intervention programs aimed at adolescents with depression, other authors believe that designing programs aimed at raising school officials awareness of depression is the best method for dealing with adolescent depression. An Adolescent Depression Research paper reports on "a pilot program designed to educate K-12 school teachers and personnel about the biological and psychosocial basis of depression and suicide and how to obtain appropriate help for youths who suffer from depression and seek counseling". Accessing funding from several local non-profit organizations, teachers, counselors and principles from surrounding school districts were invited to participate in a summer program.