Anxiety and Depression in Adolescence: A Social Problem Essay

1. Introduction concern and effect in adolescence has bugger off an increasing issue in society as time has progressed. Rates of high cultivate students who qualify for the criteria that meet a psychic disorder atomic damper 18 6-8 times higher than the self alike(prenominal) wee-wee on on with aggroup in the 1960s. A test given to high cultivate students over the years c onlyed the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Index (MMPI) gives us info from 1938 ( marsh). The test is a personal survey intercommunicate students to practice questions about themselves on a scale from strongly agree to strongly disagree (ex. I am happy now). Mental disorder rate atomic number 18 higher forthwith than during the great depression, WWII, and the cold war. So why is this happening? A cistron m some(prenominal) experts agree on is a switch from an innate locus of reign to an external. A majority of teens nowa age dont feel as though they ar in control of their own fate and th at sight cause a look at of stress. This is partial credit is due(p) to the way our society is shaped today we view as made a major shift from an emphasis on command to an emphasis on work. Kids atomic number 18 asked to grow up a exercise set earlier. Children and teens are becoming skittish at a much than bangingr rate than in past years. The culture we now belong in puts much much pressure on new volume at a younger age, forcing them to grow up. The fear is crippling if left untreated, and with the hail of commonwealth experiencing it, its a hearty problem worth flavor into.2. Where does anxiety and depression come from?The etiology of anxiety and depression brook be traced back to an individuals first stage of aliveness. psychiatric specialist John fenland writes in his script that a claws temperament in their first year of behavior gutter show behavioral signs that may lead to becoming an anxious infant and teen. A upgrade canidentify these early signs that admit lush bouts of crying, quiescency difficulties and gas ( fen). These traits or actions may seem conventionality for an infant thus its hard to expect a kick upstairs to pick up on any of these early signs, so they shouldnt fret too much this early on. Where anxiety really starts is with an incoherent idolize of some matter that an individual perceives as a threat or dangerous.This fear causes a change in behavior, like an avoidance of a posture where galore(postnominal) deal are or may be mystify in the case of cordial anxiety (Alfano). The part of the wit creditworthy for this fear is the amygdala, the emotional capital of our mind. The amygdalas structure is neutered when we become fearful of something, making it hard for the fear to be conquered or shaken. When this fear manifests, it can turn into distinguishable works of anxiety and thus become part of a persons emotional cap energy (Marsh). In essence, anxiety alters the stimulation of a certai n fear into something people can non handle and become overwhelmed.Look to a greater extentsolutions for sleep deprivation judgeThe main area that psychologists and opposite scientists devote foc employ in on the extreme 10-15 years in s obligater psychology is behavioral forbiddance of the unfamiliar, or BI (Marsh). BI re renders the tendency to exhibit fearfulness, restraint, secretiveness, and insulation in the face of novel events or situations. The more than inhibitions a babe shows, the more likely they are to explicate anxiety or record book anxious tendencies. BI is moderately heri plug-in yet the largest factor in BI is the environment and views unity has. In a record shown in Marshs book, nonshared environ psychic influences contri entirelye more to BI than do factors shared by siblings, much(prenominal)(prenominal) as genetics and shared experiences.BI is less(prenominal)ened by sociableization, if a tiddler becomes engaged in play and conversation with early(a)s from an early age they are less likely to be inhibited. Parental encouragement in this aspect is key such as parents making play dates for their electric razorren and things of that nature. Let me be clear, BI is not the same as anxiety, it is a canvas precursor to anxiety that has a traffic circle of valuable research to back up the link between BI and anxiety. It is a good thing for parents and clinicians to pick up on at an early age in the childs vivification to defecate the proper adjustments to ensure no psychic breakdowns occur.Outside of BI as a child, there are other(a)(a) things that can play into an teenage onset of anxiety or depression. One of these things is the parental influence, whether it be the parents own noetic illness, style of parenting, or the sociability of the parent, they all can affect the child. Biological predisposition is a factor a child cant control and is unfortunate. 20-50% of teens that pay from depression, anxiety or another disorder urinate a family member with some form of psychogenic illness (Borchard). It has long been documented that children of parents with any mental disorders are at a much higher take a fate of similarly developing a disorder. As for parenting style, anxiety in teens and children has been associated with parenting styles characterized by limited expression of care and warmth and more inclination toward demonstrate control and overprotection. A carry d unmatched in 1991 by Krohne and Hock, observed pairs of mother and daughter solving puzzles, high-anxious girls and low-anxious girls divided the cultivation into two groups. The psychologists free-base the mothers of high-anxious girls to be much more controlling than those of low-anxious girls (Marsh).A young person, with the exception of school, has roughly their kind interactions due to their parents connections. They wee Thanksgiving with their cousins, aunts, and uncles and arouse barbecues with their parents wo rk colleagues and their families. If a childs parents are less well-disposedly involved, it hinders the childs ability to grow and advance these skills, ca employ an emergence of anxiety in these situations (Marsh). Besides parental contact, the approximately beneficial dealinghips for young people to have are positive relationships with their peers. Peer victimization is a common experience that ostracisely affects young people psychologically. Recent research findings are a bit appalling, indicating that one in five youths are chronically capable to ongoing maltreat, whether it was physical, verbal, or any other form (Muris). These occurrences of bullying were most strongly linked to depression, low-self esteem, and social anxiety. An interest study was done in 2005 by Strawser, Storch, and Roberti. They gave lowgraduates a Teasing Questionnaire (TQ), which measures the degree to which people could recall being teased during childhood.Results demonstrated that TQ scores we re linked to social anxiety, trait anxiety, perplex, and anxiety sensitivity (Muris). This study shows that peer victimization can play a key role in the ontogeny of mental disorders and the long persistent effects it can have. A place of interest I had timeresearching was if there were any variations in financial and ethic status in the community and if that had any significant effect on anxiety and other mental disorders. In worldwide, the socioeconomic status of a youth was not a deciding factor in occurrence of mental disorders entirely one thing that does hinder those of less fortunate situations is they are much less likely to seek or receive treatment due to the costs. Most studies carried out in the US have anchor that children from ethic minorities (i.e. African American, Hispanic American) display higher aims of fear and anxiety than Caucasian counterparts. This also may be due to the fact that more minorities live in urban settings versus suburban settings, whi ch can cause a sometimes more stressful living environment. Stressful or traumatic life events are definitely a factor in a child or teen developing any number of disorders.Post traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a disorder that is directly connected to a significant single event or string of events happening. In a journal I found, the goal of the study conducted was to look at the difference between dependent and independent events and the effect they had on pre-adolescent children. Dependent events are events that the individual actually chooses to do or directly involves the individual, such as choosing to partake in drugs. Independent events are things the individual has no control over such as the death of soulfulness close to them. The findings of the study were that anxiety and depression are very likely to occur after dependent stressful events and independent life events were less likely to have effects lasting longer than six months (Eldemira). The precedes of this stu dy suggest that life choices have more influence in mental disorders than things out of ones control.These are just popular reasons children and young adults can develop mental disorders. Todays society produces a variety of other factors that are specific to our time, showing the difference that has progressed over the decades. Students protrude today the immense pressure to get good grades in order to get into one of the elite colleges of the nation. From 9th grade in high school, kids are under the impression that unless they get straights As, their college options are going to be very limited. This is a level of stress that in past generations was not present at such a young age. Another thing curious to our decade is the phenomenon that is social media. Thepopularity of sites like Facebook and Twitter and the smartphone era in general has caused raised levels of anxious teenagers. This anxiety doesnt come directly from social media, but from being away from it. A study done b y Wilhelm Hoffman of the University of Chicago compared social media addictiveness to other things with addictive qualities. The results came back with the fact that social media was harder to resist than alcohol, caffeine, or cigarettes (Fitzgerald). Overall, the most significant factor in new-fashioned years is the change from intrinsic to extrinsic goals.3. Different Types of DisordersThere are a large number of anxiety and depression disorders, with umpteen twists and turns that build diagnoses very specific. In order to keep from being too crying this slit will focus on some of the most by and large diagnosed disorders including general anxiety disorder, social anxiety, and general depression. Discussing the symptoms and what these disorders entail is the goal of this section in order to erect a solid base of experience of just what young people are woe with today.3.1 Generalized worry DisorderChildren with general anxiety disorder or GAD are plagued by worries most chi ldren or teens can shrug off. Often referred to as little adults, these children are concerned about things like health, personal value, safety, and their future. They also tend to worry a lot about other people and their issues, which have nothing to do with themselves, such as the neighbors fight they had last night. These worries become a central part of daily thoughts and this can chip development and adjustment to life (Essau). GAD has mostly been documented and studied in adults this is because in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manuel of Mental Disorders (DSM) up until the fourth edition over-anxious disorder (OAD) was what this was called in children. These conditions are considered very similar and coincide many symptoms so now GAD is the universal term used regardless of age.The main symptoms of GAD in the DSM-IV are excessive worry about multiple topics, difficulty controlling or regulating the worry, somatic symptomsthat accompany the worry, and functional impairment resulting from the worries. There are a lot of overlaps in symptoms of anxiety so if these are restricted to separation from someone, social situations, or a specific event than GAD is not the counterbalance diagnosis.3.2 affable Anxiety DisorderAnxiety as a self-colored is conceptualized as a tripartite establishment (Alfano) consisting of physical symptoms, subjective or cognitive distress, and behavioral avoidance. Social anxiety affects about 5-16% of young adults ages 15-24 depending on what study or survey you look at. Regardless, its too many people being affected than should be. The physical symptoms of social anxiety include tachycardia (a heartbeat that exceeds 100 beats per minute), blushing, trembling, and sweating. These can occur not scarcely in a social situation but in the prescience of an upcoming event as well. An investigation performed in 1985 by Beidel, turner & Dancu found that systolic blood pressure and heart rate significantly increase when someone who suffers from SAD was talking to someone of the opposite sexual urge (Alfano).Cognitive symptoms are very similar to that of GAD but its mostly the unreasonable worry that the person will do or read something that will be seen by others in a group as embarrassing or humiliating. This can take the form as specific negative thoughts, a general unease in social settings, or even specific beliefs that one will not coiffe how they think one should in social situations. The negative thoughts are something that is ordinarily seen in most patients. Its usually one of the things that appear on self-reports and its hard to break. In my personal experience with a psychologist, she had told me that these are referred to as NATs or negative automatic thoughts. Just like the louse gnat, they are annoying thoughts that will not seem to leave someone caught in this struggle, which is why therapy is helpful to reshape the way someone thinks.The behavioral aspect of SAD is avoidance of social settings. Many people who suffer from SAD become reclusive. These behaviors can be very subtle such as avoiding eye contact with teachers or asking to be sub-rosa when putting on a school play (Alfano). An kindle table I found surveyed a high school on different social events and what percentages express it caused at least a moderate level of distress and caused avoidance. The top 5 categories, oralreports, attending dances or parties, asking a teacher a question in class, starting or joining a conversation, and athletic or musical performances all had 85% or more of the students say it caused at least moderate distress and 55% or more said it caused avoidance of those situations (Huberty).3.3 falloffDepression, for the most part, is less of a chronic disorder like most anxieties are. Depression is usually a bout that people deal with from two weeks anywhere to two years. If the symptoms dont pass after that amount of time, it becomes diagnosed as dysthymia, which is the chroni c form of depression. Regardless of whether an individual is suffering for a short-change period of time or chronically, depression can be super debilitating. At any time about 10-15% of people under 21 suffer from depression. The more frightening statistic is that only 30% of these depressed people are receiving or seeking help (Borchard).There is a large range of symptoms and signs that someone is suffering from depression. These include apathy, complaints of physical pain such as headaches, stomachaches, difficulty concentrating, loss of appetite or overeating, memory loss, thoughts or obsession with death and dying, sadness or feeling of confidelessness, trouble sleeping or too much sleep, drop in grades, substance abuse and many other things. Depression, rather than getting scared, seems to make someone numb to the world. Often due to some sort of disappointment such as inadequate social status, sexual frustration with orientation or inability to talk to the opposite sex, s chool performance or any other number of things (Gray).4. TreatmentTreatment is a glimmer of hope in todays world. Although pass judgment of anxiety and depression have continued to climb, treatment systems are also continuing to improve as science and engineering science advance. The most widely accepted or praised method for treatment is cognitive-behavioral therapy. Cognitive-behavioral is meant to represent an integration of cognitive, behavioral, affective, and social strategies for change (Marsh).A study that is pretty representative of the cognitive-behavioral play as a unit was done in 1989 by Kane and Kendall. The study took a group of adolescents suffering from anxiety and put them through therapy for 6 months. Kane and Kendall were able to divide the swear out of recovery into four major components 1. Recognizing anxious feelings and physical reactions to anxiety, 2. Identifying and modifying negative self-statements, 3. Generating strategies to manage effectively i n anxiety-provoking situations, and 4. Rating and rewarding attempts at coping (Marsh). After the six months, self-reports, parental reports, and reports done by the clinicians had improved significantly. A follow up appointment was made three months after the study had ended and about 50% of the subjects had made considerable gains in adopting and employ their newfound knowledge. The other half had regressed at least in some way back to old habits. This shows the differences between individuals and their needs, some can have an intense short treatment and be fine for the rest of their days while others need a constant support over many years.The other portion of treatment that is of importance in our time especially is intervention by the means of pharmacotherapy. Using drugs such as anti-depressants and anxiolytics in order to mental block anxiety and depression has increased as technology has improved. The three most commonly prescribed medicines for anxiety and depression are benzodiazepines, beta-blockers, and SSRIs. Benzos are prescribed for a short-term period for severe change anxiety. The way this drug works is it dampens the overall activity in the brain in order to calm the person. Beta-blockers are commonly prescribed to those who suffer from social anxiety because they essentially block adrenaline output, lessening the brace one can feels from being excited or nervous. SSRIs are the up-to-the-minute and most effective antidepressant. They have been praised for their lack of side effect compared to sure-enough(a) anti-depressants. Formally selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, they keep serotonin, the neurotransmitter in stick of mood, in the brain longer causing a raise in mood.Just from 1996 to 2005, antidepressant use in the US has gone from 5.84% of the state to 10.12% (Grohol). The trend is still increasing and it may just be because more people are becomingdepressed but it also could be because of a shift to a quick-fix societal no rm. We live in a world where if someone can no longer get an erection, they take a blue pill called Viagra and are ready to go. This same mentality can be applied to drugs used for mental disorders. plenty can go into a doctors office and say they need something to make them feel better and skip the most significant part of the process, therapy. Without a change in behavior, the antidepressant wont have a strong effect. It has been proven time and time again that cognitive-behavioral therapy accompanied by a drug is the most effective scheme in lowering anxiety or beating depression. Two treatments provide a greater dose and thus may provide a more rapid and efficient response (Marsh).5. Conclusion and manageable ImprovementsWe live in a rapidly changing time, and that may be one of the very reasons that so many people are anxious and depressed, the fear of the unknown and change. Regardless of whether that holds true or not, we have an contract as a society to change the way we approach anxiety and depression in young people because they will be the leadership of tomorrow. The idea of just fixing things by throwing a pill at the problem is not the right way to handle things because it doesnt have long-term benefits. It may initially be helpful but it doesnt result an individual to look at a problem and realize the error of their ways and why was something going on. The quick-fix we have going on is in part due to a loss of sensitivity in our world as a whole. Things like Facebook and texting makes face-to-face contact less and less necessary and we lose a sense of humanity because of it. The result that may come forth if this downward trend continues is about 1/5 of our countrys soon-to-be adult population suffering from mental disorders and not being able to contribute or enjoy life to their full potential. Adolescent-onset of mental disorders has been proven to have an even stronger overall bell than the adult-onset version therefore, action is ne cessary as early as possible (Marsh).The future isnt entirely gloomy though. We have the feel as a society to change how we deal with mental disorders in young people. One thing thatwould benefit many would be to go back to a more creative and individualized education experience. By allowing children and teens the ability to play and seek passions, we can create a system that may not produce as many CEOs but kind of people who are simply happy in their career and life. Allowing more time for children to grow up could be very beneficial for their mental health. Another possible improvement is in the medical field. Making psycho-evaluations obligatory or as important as annual health check-ups could allow early preventative action to take place. By starting this process early in an individuals life, it could greatly reduce the chance of an anxious or depression outburst to occur.The number one thing that can happen in order to change the prevalence of mental disorder rests on the shoulders of parents. By being knowledgeable in the dangers of mental disorders today, like 5,000 annual suicides, a rate triple of the 1960s, they can be the best preventative force. Its better to be proactive and than reactive. Muhammad Ali said it well when he stated, you can set yourself up to be sick, or you can choose to be well. The future of this social problem is in our hands, whether we choose to continue down the track where anxiety and depression rates rise, or take a stand, is all up to us. Regaining an internal locus of control, allowing creativity and individualism to thrive, and caring about happiness more so than financial wealth are ways we can stop the progression of anxiety and depression in adolescence.Works CitedAlfano, Candice A., and Deborah C. Beidel. Social Anxiety in Adolescents and Young Adults Translating Developmental Science into Practice. Washington, DC American psychological Association, 2011. Print.This book is ground on social anxiety in adolescen ts. Social anxiety symptoms are often seen in teens but only of late books like this one have come out that really blastoff into the adolescents. It looks at the etiology of the problem, which is what I will be mainly using this source for.Borchard, Therese J., Why Are So Many Teens Depressed? Psychcentral.com 03. Apr. 2004. Web. 10 Nov. 2012. .Borchard is an associate editor for Psychcentral.com and upon reading her article she had a few interesting facts that I thought were worth sharing because they show a general hopelessness in todays youth that we need to fix.De Jong, P.J., B.E. Sportel, E. De Hullu, and M. H. Nauta. continuative of Social Anxiety and Depression Symptoms in Adolescence Differential Links with underlying and Explicit Self-esteem? Psychological Medicine 42.03 (2012) 475-84.EBSCOhost. Web. 14 Oct. 2012.This article negotiation about social anxiety and depression and how they very well can go hand in hand. The study looks at two different types of self-esteem, implicit and explicit. Explicit self-esteem is deliberately self-evaluating while implicit has more to do with memory. The goal of the study was to see if these explicit and implicit self-esteems did in fact result in higher levels of depression and social anxiety. I will use this study to look at the differences between a teens memory and actual thoughts of themselves effect on mood.Eldemira Domenech-Llaberia, et al. AGE, sexual activity AND NEGATIVE LIFE EVENTS IN ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION SELF-REPORTS AT PREADOLESCENCE AND ahead of time ADOLESCENCE. (English). Ansiedad Y Estres 17.2/3 (2011) 113-124. Academic Search Complete Web. 17 Oct. 2012.This is a study that took students from 4th to 6th grade from 13 randomly selected schools participated. The study looked at the difference in age, gender and life events on a students prevalence to get anxiety and depression. Provides me with information based on different groups of people.Essau, Cecilia A., and Franz gumshoemann, eds. Anx iety Disorders in Children and Adolescents Epidemiology, Risk Factors and Treatment. New York Taylor & Francis, 2001. Print.This book is another look at how to diagnose, deal with, and treat anxiety issues. The interesting thing with this book is its about ten years sometime(a) than the other books and so the difference in findings will be enchanting to look at it.Fitzgerald, Britney. Social Media Is Causing Anxiety, Study Finds. The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 10 July 2012. Web. 15 Nov. 2012.Fitzgeralds article talks about the effect that social media has on anxiety and just how addictive Twitter, Facebook and other things in the same category are.Gray, Peter. Freedom to Learn. The Dramatic Rise of Anxiety and Depression in Children and Adolescents Is It attached to the Decline in Play and Rise in Schooling? psychology Today, 26 Jan. 2010. Web. 15 Nov. 2012. .Peter Gray talks about one of my main focuses, the switch from play to work early on in a childs education and the effect that has.Grohol, John M., Psy.D. antidepressant drug Use Up 75 Percent Psych Central News.Psych Central.com. N.p., 3 Aug. 2009. Web. 15 Nov. 2012. .This article is all about the rise in the usage of antidepressants and why this is happening.Huberty, Thomas J. reed instrument. Anxiety and Depression in Children and Adolescents Assessment, Intervention, and Prevention. New York Springer, 2012. Print.Thomas Reeds book was written in as an insight or somewhat of a guide in understanding what goes on in a young persons development that allows anxiety and other mental disorders to develop. Historically there has been five major factors in the development of mental disorders such as biological or social but this book adds a sixth schools. Reed thinks that a childs school is not only for educational growth but all other factors as life aswell. Looking into a school setting is critical because outside of the home its where children usually make pass most their time.March, Jo hn S. Anxiety Disorders in Children and Adolescents. New York Guilford, 1995. Print.This is the last impress source that I have it seems to be the most technical and scientific as well. John March is the chief child psychiatry specialist at Duke University and so hes a specialist among specialists. I will look into what he says and try to elaborate my research with it.McLaughlin, Katie A., Joshua Breslau, and Jennifer Green. childhood Socio-economic Status and the Onset, Persistence, and Severity of DSM-IV Mental Disorders in a US theme Sample. Social Science & Medicine 73.7 (2011) 1088-096.EBSCOhost. Web. 15 Oct. 2012.This article dives into the idea that a socio-economic status is a factor in a child or adolescences mental health. It has been documented many times, but this article found that childhood financial status wasnt usually the main factor in a childs overall mental health. I will use this article because I think that a social economic status seems like it would matter tremendously in mental health.Muris, Peter. Normal and Abnormal Fear and Anxiety in Children and Adolescents. Amsterdam Elsevier, 2007. Print.Peter Muris book goes into the epidemiology of anxiety in children and the difference between that and normal fears. He examines how some children have a worse way of adapting to bad situations. That photo is a key factor in the development of according to this book and I want to look at that portion of this book.Nicholas Allen, et al. Parental Behaviors During Family Interactions reckon Changes In Depression And Anxiety Symptoms During Adolescence. Journal Of Abnormal Child psychology 40.1 (2012) 59-71. Academic Search Complete. Web.17 Oct. 2012.A journal investigated the longitudinal relations between parental behaviors observed during parent-adolescent interactions, and the development of depression and anxiety. Positive and negative parental behaviors were examined. This is a great thing to look at for my composing because parents play a huge role in a childs development.Zavos, Helena M.S., Ph.D, Chloe C.Y. Wong, Ph.D, Nicola L. Barclay, Ph.D, and Jonathan Mill, Ph.D. Anxiety Sensitivity In Adolescence And Young matureness The Role of Stressful Life Events, 5HTTLPR And Their Interaction.Depression and Anxiety 29.5 (2012) 400-08. EBSCOhost. Web. 14 Oct. 2012.