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Post by Sara Massey on Jun 1, 2017 21:56:16 GMT -4
It was very surprising to learn from this article that children, both males and females, as young as age 11 can be clinically diagnosed with major depression. This just goes to show that mental health is a serious issue, no matter what the age is, and under- or misdiagnosing patients can be extremely detrimental. On the other hand, it was not surprising that it is still not clear as to what can cause depression in either males or females. Understandably, there are a multitude of factors that could influence the development of depression in both sexes, and to name just a few: genetics, hormones, social factors. Until we are able to better understand depression and its causes, we should be keen to look out for the risk factors, as well as symptoms, so that we can be quick to treat depression before it causes life-changing effects.
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Post by Susanne Ajao on Jun 1, 2017 22:25:07 GMT -4
I found this article interesting as it explored the early presentation of depression in adolescents. With earlier detection of depression, long term complications could be prevented with the appropriate treatment and support earlier than later. The article noted that depression could be seen in children as young as 4 or 5. It's hard to imagine that it could present so early in life. The high rates of depression among teenagers could easily be linked to cyber bullying, difficulty in relationships, peer acceptance among others and might explain the high rate of suicide among this age group. The advantage of detecting depression so early is that early intervention might benefit such individuals in the long run before its too late.
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Post by Steven Nguyen on Jun 2, 2017 3:14:21 GMT -4
Depression has been a dark issue facing adolescents and young adults for a long time. It is extremely important to detect signs of depression in this population and intervene early due to its close association with school and relationships troubles, and suicide. The difference in incidence of depression between genders is possibly explained by our nature (biologic differences) and nurture (environmental/social differences). Hopefully as time goes on, further research will provide insight into how to differentiate between high-risk and low-risk cases of depression and why some people can come out of depression without therapeutic intervention while others require medical assistance.
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Margaret Armour-Jones
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Post by Margaret Armour-Jones on Jun 2, 2017 8:55:09 GMT -4
This article does not surprise me at all. For one it is already shown that depression is more common in women by a large fraction, so it makes sense that girls will also have higher rates in adolescence. Also, from my own experience, I think that the lack of diagnosis comes more from the inability to express complex emotion rather than feel it. And then there is the addition of social stressors which preferentially target girls and women. The high pressure to fit in only compounds on genetic predispositions, and add to that starting puberty with hormonal fluctuations, its no surprise girls feel unstable at early ages.
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Post by Lauren Aamoth on Jun 2, 2017 10:33:04 GMT -4
I appreciate how this article sheds light on the very serious issue of depression and how common it really is. I believe that society in general tends to be less tolerant of mental health disorders over other medical issues. Many people who don't fully understand mental health may tell you to just "get over it" or "stop being sad". In reality, the issue is much, much deeper than that. I think it is important for us as medical providers to emphasize the importance of mental health every bit as much as we do for physical health. I can see how the line gets blurry here with teenage girls. Teenagers in general are undergoing many transitions, whether it be socially, biologically, etc., so there are always going to be ups and downs. I can see how it may be difficult to determine what is moodiness vs. what is an actual mental health disorder such as depression. I do believe that social influences can strongly affect mental health, however that doesn't mean that the issue should be treated any less important.
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Post by Akieya Cumberbatch on Jun 2, 2017 13:44:15 GMT -4
It's very pleasing to see that research has noted depression can affect any and everyone including those that we may deem as too young to understand what depression is. Any person with a functioning mind can experience depression and in our current era it's much easier to go into this state . There are numerous contributing factors which include but not limited to the home (parents, family members) school (teachers) and social (friends, extra-curricular activities etc). Children have so many demands placed on them while growing up they can no longer just be free and outgoing as a child should but rather they have to conform to what society has made the "new normal". All of which is very burdensome on any individual not to mention how it would be for a child.
I do not agree with the gender gap protrayed by this article. We all know males tend to handle situations differently than females; also males are not as open and honest about their situations as a female would be. Males from young have been taught not to whine and complain otherwise they are seen as "girls" and that is exactly how they continue through life. Thus, it's mandatory that analysts of the topic really keep that in mind and find alternative screening mechanisms to really gauge the younger population so appropriate methodologies and treatments can be effective.
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Post by Kelenna Browne on Jun 2, 2017 15:10:52 GMT -4
In order to better understand what causes the gender gap in depression, the data seems to suggest that it is vital to identify depression before adolescence. This is a difficult undertaking as depression in children can be difficult to diagnose. It is unfortunate that children as young 5 can suffer from depression, though not terribly surprising. Depression may be beyond a child that young in terms of expression but that does not mean they do not experience it. It should be interesting to know definitively whether social or biological factors play a bigger role in setting boys and girls apart. Perhaps understanding why girls have a higher prevalence to be plagued with this diagnosis over boys will be the key to understanding why some patients are able to manage their symptoms without medication.
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Post by Peter Wahba on Jun 3, 2017 11:35:01 GMT -4
It's uncomfortable to think that depression can affect children as young as 4 or 5 years old. We often think of children and adolescents as too immature and innocent to experience adult experiences such as driving and alcohol yet they can experience depression on the same level as adults. It was disturbing to read the data that suggested teenage girls are 3 times more likely to experience depression as their male counterparts. I think that society and surroundings have an added negative influence for girls that is greater than a biological predisposition. I find that women have more of an added societal pressure than men. You find many ads talking about weight, beauty, style through social media, internet, radio and television that seem to be targeted more towards women. This would explain the large discrepancy in terms of incidence of eating disorders between boys and girls. Also, the article makes note of how men have an outlet for their emotions such as aggression and substance abuse. I think the article was trying to say that girls internalize their emotions and suffering and it turns to feelings of guilt, worthlessness and other associations of depression which could explain the wide gender gap of depression.
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Post by Nazia Rahman on Jun 4, 2017 22:34:28 GMT -4
This article illustrates the importance and prevalence of depression in adolescents. Unrealistic academic, social, or family expectations can create a strong sense of rejection and can lead to deep disappointment. To make matters worse, teens are bombarded by conflicting messages from parents, friends and society on how they should act, look and what they should do in life. These can cause great stress early in life and they often experience “the blues” or abuse substances to numb the negative thoughts/feelings. Also, adolescents do not always understand or express their feelings and may not be aware of their depressive symptoms and may not seek help. Therefore it is required us as healthcare physicians to understand and monitor the emotional and physical changes they are experiencing and build a trust relationship so that we could guide/help them through the therapy.
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Post by Nanki A. on Jun 4, 2017 23:13:00 GMT -4
I think it is difficult to determine and differentiate whether a young adolescent is depressed or are they experiencing typical mood fluctuations in that stage of life, specially if the signs of depression are subtle or atypical. In either case, I believe that not just hormones are at play here, but many external variables can also contribute to an adolescent girl feeling depressed at such a young age. At that age, girls start to develop their self-esteem based on other women around them which may cause some to feel excluded, thus, initiating symptoms that may progress to feeling alone and depressed. Not to mention the societal views that a young girl is surrounded with, such as beauty standards, body shaming, higher risk of sexual assualt that lower the self worth at an age where they are meant to develop them more positively. So, one's hormones may increase the risk of predisposing young girls towards depression, but you also have the lack of positive mental growth to catalyze it.
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Post by Svetlana Iskhakova on Jun 4, 2017 23:32:04 GMT -4
This article points out important numbers, that may be shocking. However, the information is still subjective and there maybe an even bigger number than what they collected. In regards to gender, i believe that it is due to the fact that culture still has a strong influence on our roles in society and perhaps there are many more boys who did not disclose information about their symptoms. When comparing numbers before and now, it is hard to say whether there are more depressed children now or we are finally paying attention to mental health and have better ways of screening. Before depression was recognized or welcomed as a diagnosis, people who suffered from it kept it inside until deemed dysfunctional and "crazy", ready for hospitalization and invasive procedures. Children who suffered from mental health issues were labeled as bad students and troubled kids, who later ended up self medicating with drugs and alcohol. It took a long time to move forward in mental health for adults, but as article indicates, in 1980's, adolescents and children were still not part of it. Thankfully, now we are finally where we can recognize it earlier, in broader range of population age, and have more options for treatment. Depression is multifactorial, and we can attempt fixing it before it takes over. Genetic predisposition is a non modifiable factor, but mother's prenatal health and environment that child is born into and grows up in, can be modifiable. Many times mental health issues (whether depression or conduct/oppositional defiance disorder) arise from some childhood events that may include neglect, abuse, divorce, and any other stress causing event. While article brings the right attention to a very critical issue and focuses on importance of recognizing signs of depression in children by their teachers and parents, i think it is as important to start intervention at the level of family planning. |
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Post by Wardah Khalid on Jun 5, 2017 9:57:21 GMT -4
This article focused on depression in adolescents and children as young as 4 to 5 years. During my pediatric rotation, I noticed how common depression was in children and most of these patients were girls. Problems with bullying by peers and self-esteem was very common, and many patients reported suicidal ideations. I was surprised to see how prevalent the problem was. It is important to further research why mental health is being affected at a younger and younger age. One problem may be that children are more concerned about their body image at a younger age. Also, bullying in school is often not addressed. Parents need to recognize the stigma around mental health and notice signs of changes in their child’s behavior.
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Post by Emem Kierian on Jun 5, 2017 22:00:49 GMT -4
This article is enlightening as it specially approaches depression in adolescents and children which is usually under-diagnosed. It is not surprising to me that gender plays an integral part in adolescent depression and this can be attributed to biological differences, most likely involving changes in hormones or other ways through which girls socialize. Also the fact that children as young as 4-5 years of age can be diagnosed with depression is very discouraging as these children are not physically, mentally or emotionally mature enough to deal with this "adult affliction". I feel diagnosing depression in children will be more challenging as their symptoms are slightly different from adults and it will be difficult to distinguish between depression and the usual mood swings they experience. But as professionals in training, we need to be aware of the possibility of this diagnosis in this age group and the available treatment options. I think more research and awareness is required on this topic.
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Post by Opeyemi Owa on Jun 7, 2017 15:42:36 GMT -4
What an alarming and sad realization that children as young as 4 or 5 can be depressed. I'm hesitant to believe it. The article mentioned studies being done to identify experiences that high and low risk for depression, I think is brilliant. Better to identify children at risk and initiate treatment as soon as possible, or even better, eliminate these risks. The reality will probably be a lot less black and white, it is almost impossible to predict how individuals will react to certain situations, what maybe high risk to jack might be low risk to jill, nevertheless, it is a step in the right direction. I can't shake the feeling though that the main over arching problem is the stigma associated with psychiatric conditions.
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Post by Roy Satmaka on Jun 7, 2017 18:47:45 GMT -4
I would probably agree that the divide for female percentages being higher for depression maybe social and how they were brought up. Girls tend to be taught to bring out and understand their emotions more so than boys. Whereas, boys are brought up to be rough and tumble and taught more to be physical and active with play and maybe taught to hold back or not share how they feel. The other reason is that girls tend to be more mature as they hit puberty much sooner than males. I also hope the researchers took into account that teens tend be darker in humor, mood and have cynicism when they analyzed the data from their questionnaire.
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