The theme of this year's World Mental Health Day is 'Young People and Mental Health in a Changing World'. One in every 10 children or adolescents is diagnosed with a mental illness.
The most common mental illness in young people is anxiety disorder (20 percent in girls and 10 percent in boys), followed by depressive disorder, alcohol and substance use disorder. On the other hand, depression in young people is increasing at an alarming rate.
While the prevalence of major depression is 1.7 percent in childhood, it rises to 3 percent before puberty and to 5 percent with puberty.
SUICIDE IS ALSO ON THE RISE
According to information provided by Prof. Dr. Nesrin Dilbaz, Director of Üsküdar University Addiction Application and Research Center, depression in young people is increasing at an alarming rate. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), depression is the most important factor that causes diseases and limits physical abilities in children and young people aged 10-19.
Stating that depression experienced during childhood or adolescence and some factors exposed to affect the mental health of young people, Dilbaz said: "Young people spend most of their days online. They are exposed to negative information and situations such as war, cybercrimes, cyberbullying. They play violent video games. The number of suicides and substance abuse is increasing. They are at an age when serious mental illnesses can occur, but they have little knowledge about mental health."
HIGH LIKELIHOOD OF RECURRENCE
Depression is a condition in which children and adolescents feel extremely sad, unhappy, hopeless and worthless. Unlike adults, adolescents have high rates of guilt and suicide attempts. It is more common in children with behavioral disorders and attention deficit. Dilbaz said, "Research shows that depression in young people is increasing at an alarming rate. Many other problems can arise when depression that occurs in adolescence is undiagnosed and untreated. In these patients, school success decreases, the frequency of substance abuse and, most importantly, the risk of suicide increases. In addition, research shows that depression that occurs at a young age is more likely to recur than depression that begins at an older age. For all these reasons, it is very important to recognize and treat depression in young people."
Hurriyet
http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/cocuklar-ve-genclerde-depresyon-artiyor-40981964