LSMs. Kurz and Mrs. Medina

English 1223 May 2012

TEENAGE DEPRESSION AND

SELECTIVE SEROTONIN REUPTAKE

INHIBITORS

Do you know anyone who has been or is depressed?

DO NOWhttp://ehealthforum.com/pages/ssri/pictures

http://teenhealthissues.wordpress.com/2011/04/09/depression-among-teens/

If you were depressed, would you want medication?

Why or why not?

Define depression.

What do you know about antidepressants?

While many parents believe that teenagers should not take any

antidepressants, teens diagnosed with depression by an adolescent

trained psychiatrist should be able to take Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors along with

regular cognitive therapy.

THESIS:

“An estimated 1.5 million 12 to 18-year-olds in the United

States… experience

major depression”

(Bower par.9).

INTRO

“… even when they are detected, most young people with depression receive no treatment for their

problem” (Mayoh par. 7).

http://www.at-risk.org/blog/916/statistics-and-fact-about-teen-depression-2/

“In a study of 2,500 students… nearly 20% were identified as at risk, of whom 73.6% were not

receiving treatment…” (Landro par. 4).

“…half of all mental illness starts by age 14, and about

11% of adolescents

have a depressive

disorder by age 18” (Landro

par. 4)

SELECTIVE SEROTONIN REUPTAKE INHIBITORS

SSRI’S

http://www.luvoxcr.com/learn/

VIDEO

http://www.luvoxcr.com/learn/http://www.webmd.com/depression/ss/slideshow-depression-overview

“Left untreated, such issues can lead to high dropout rates, substance abuse, violence –

and suicide…” (Landro par. 4).

UNTREATED DEPRESSION

ANOREXIA, BULIMIA, OCD and ANXIETY

http://smartgirltips.com/anorexia-signs-and-how-to-treated.html/anorexia

http://brokenbelievers.com/2012/02/16/the-ugly-curse-of-bulimia/

http://www.easytolovebut.com/?p=2086 http://

www.sandiegotherapistcounselor.com/what-is-social-anxiety-disorder-and-how-can-i-overcome-it.html

SUBSTANCE ABUSE

VIDEOhttp://

www.lockyourmeds.org/meducation/

http://www.lockyourmeds.org/meducation/

http://www.inspirationsyouth.com/Teen-Addiction-

Statistics.asp

EATING DISORDERS

http://www.nimh.nih

.gov/statistics/

1EAT_CHILD.shtml

http://cfdetail.blogspot.com/2010/05/anorexia.html

http://kotaku.com/bulimia/

TEEN SUICDE

http://rankingamerica.wordpress.com/2011/04/16/u-s-ranks-14th-in-teenage-suicide/

TEEN HOMICIDE

http://extranosalley.com/?p=21850

“The perception of mental illness is a person living on the street. People are often seen in

a bad light or stereotyped within the media” (Herald par.

23).

REJECTION

http://www.sodahead.com/fun/if-you-had-to-which-one-would-you-kill/question-496323/?link=ibaf&q=homeless+druggie&imgurl=http://images.sodahead.com/polls/000496323/polls_normal_Homeless_Santiago_5952_881795_answer_1_xlarge.jpeg “Slightly less than half… thought a

mental disorder was just an excuse for poor behaviour” (Tayler par. 20).

http://www.myspace.com/danielkaji

REJECTION

“‘People kept telling me I was creating it. That made it worse…’” (Tayler par.8)

“And for many who are suffering, the effects from stigma and discrimination can be as difficult to deal

with as the disease itself” (Tayler par. 12).

http://unitytiger.wordpress.com/2011/01/04/teenage-depression/

“Only around 7,000 psychiatrists in this country have been trained to treat

children and adolescents” (Bower par. 9).

PSYCHIATRISTS

http://www.howtobecomea-psychiatrist.com/

“Inaccurate diagnosis of depression complicates

treatment…” (Bower par. 41).

“‘It was so difficult because every parent wants their kids to be perfect and you don’t

want to accept the fact that something might be wrong with your child’” (Mayoh par. 4).

PARENTS

http://www.teen-depression.info/overview/helping/

“‘… a lot of parents have heard lots of horror stories about kids on medication and there’s often a comment made to me that young people on antidepressants are more likely

to suicide—but that is not the case’” (Mayoh par. 25). VIDEO

STIGMASANTIDEPRESSANT

http://billhicksisdead.blogspot.com/2011/11/antidepressant-use-skyrockets-400-in.html

http://6keysoptimalhealth.blogspot.com/2012/04/antidepressants-for-every-man-woman.html

“Suicide rates for preteens and

teenagers increased sharply

when… doctors started writing

fewer prescriptions…” (Graham par. 1).

STIGMAS

http://swarbind.blogspot.com/

http://blogs.nature.com/musings_and_moths/2012/01/26/teenage-dream

http://www.teen-depression.info/overview/teen-suicide-rate/

“Suicidal thoughts and attempts in depressed…

adolescents… progressively

decline in the 6 months after

initiating SSRI use…” (Bower

par. 14).

“… 17 studies indicated that medication neither inflamed longstanding suicidal thoughts nor

created them in people who has never

considered killing themselves” (Bower

par. 4).

STIGMAS“’Public fear that drug treatment for

depression is worse than the illness itself may lead to untreated depression and more

suicide’” (Bower par. 8).

“‘We had heard all the horror stories… children being like drugged out zombies…’” (Mayoh par.

19).

http://www.rabidmutt.com/?p=525

SELECTIVE SEROTONIN REUPTAKE INHIBITORS

SIDE EFFECTS:

THE TRUTH

"...SSRI's don't foster thoughts of suicide and may instead prevent it..." (Bower par. 12).

“…studies of teens… who have killed themselves… rarely find traces of SSRIs or other antidepressants

in blood…” (Bower par. 13)

http://favim.com/image/252865/

VIDEO

SELECTIVE SEROTONIN REUPTAKE INHIBITORS

AND COGNITIVE THERAPY:

THE TRUTH

“...rates of suicidal thoughts dropped...

although only the combination

of Prozac and psychotherapy

proved superior…”

(Bower par. 20).

"...to examine one's thoughts regarding a situation to figure out whether the thoughts accompanying the emotion are

accurate..." (Clemmitt page 20).

http://whatiscognitivebehavioraltherapy.com/

Teenagers who are suggested to go on medication by a trained psychiatrist should

be able to make the choice whether they want to be on medication or not, even if

their parents do not allow it.But with specific guidelines:

SOLUTION

SOLUTION First, the teenager must be diagnosed with

depression by an adolescent trained psychiatrists.

“…1.5 million 12- to 18-year-olds… experience major depression. That total

dwarfs the number of mental-health clinicians qualified to treat them” (Bower

par. 9)

http://www.webmd.com/depression/ss/slideshow-depression-overview

SOLUTION Second, other methods of treatment should

be attempted.

Increased

Exercise

Better Nutrition

More Sleep Meditation

http://richardsfitnessequipmentreview.com/foam-roller/exercise-and-fitness-ensure-a-balanced-lifestyle-with-these-fitness-tips

http://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/sleep-myths

http://www.trainwithgreen.com/nutrition.html

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/28/how-meditation-may-change-the-brain/

SOLUTION Third, the medication being prescribed must be a SSRI.

http://neurocritic.blogspot.com/2009/09/are-antidepressants-underprescribed-in.html

http://www.hcplive.com/articles/Antidepressants-Not-Found-to-Benefit-Dementia-Patients/

“…drugs can work, and if you needed to help your child--or save their life--

wouldn’t you?” (Mayoh par. 3)

SOLUTION Lastly, the teenager

should attend regular cognitive therapy.

http://www.4therapy.com/therapy/about-therapy/types-therapy-2231

“‘Medication gets them to the door, and then a good psychosocial program can get them through

the door’” (Tanner par. 12)

SOLUTION Creating this new, ideal system will be very difficult and will require the work

of many people. But it is possible.

New Stigmas

Depression Programs

More Psychiatrists

CONCLUSIONWhen a teenager is diagnosed by a

trained adolescent psychiatrists, they should be able to take Selective

Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors along with cognitive therapy, even if their parents oppose. The ideal system

allowing teenagers to do so may take a long time to develop but with the

determination of the misunderstood depressed teens, the confused parents and the knowledgeable psychiatrists,

it is all very possible.

Bower, Bruce. “Prescription for Controversy.” Science News Vol. 169, No. 11 18 Mar 2006: 168+. SIRS Researcher. Web.

21 Sep 2011. <sks.sirs.com>.

WORK CITED

Clemmitt, Marcia. Treating Depression. CQ Researcher, 19, 573-596. Print Graham, Judith. “Teen Suicide Rates Spike After FDA Labels Medication.” Chicago Tribune (Chicago, IL) 6 Sep 2007: n.p. SIRS Researcher. Web. 03 Jan 2012. <sks.sirs.com>.Landro, Laura. “Will Students Take a Mental Health Test?.” Wall Street Journal 30 Aug 2011:

D.2. SIRS Researcher. Web. 16 Sep 2011. <sks.sirs.com>.Mayoh, Lisa. “Are We Over-Medicating Our Kids?.” Sunday Herald-Sun (Melbourne) Australia 25 Jul 2010: 2. SIRS Reseacher. Web. 21 Sep 2011. <sks.sirs.com>.Tayler, Theresa. “Breaking Through the Stigma.” Calgary Herald 09 Oct 2011: A.6. SIRS

Researcher. Web. 23 Dec 2011. <sks.sirs.com>.