DEPRESSION: CORONA AND YOUTH
Depression is a common mental health problem that involves a low mood and a loss of interest in activities. It is a mood disorder that causes a persistent felling of sadness and loss of interest and can interfere with your daily functioning.
Sadness, feeling down, and having a loss of interest or pleasure in daily activities are familiar feelings for all of us. But if they persist and affect our lives substantially, the issue may be depression. Depression is the main cause of disability worldwide, according to the world health organization (WHO). It can affect adults, adolescents, and children.
In India, the national mental health survey 2015-16 reveals that nearly 15% Indian adults need active intervention for one or more mental health issue and one in 20 Indians suffers from depression. it is estimated that in 2012, India had over 258,000 suicides, with the age group of 15-49 years being most affected.
Ever since the pandemic hit India over the last few months, followed by an unprecedented lockdown, stress levels have been on the rise with 43 percent Indians suffering from depression.
According to study, 26% respondents were suffering from mild depression, 11% were feeling moderately depressed, and 6% were facing severe symptoms of depression.
The last five months have been unexpected. The situation has taken a major toll on the mental health of citizens. With the series of lockdowns, anxiety, job cuts, health scares, and the overall volatile environment stress levels are at an all-time high.
“copious amounts of stress can lead to depression. With the current lockdown and lifestyles drastically changing, we have seen that 43% of Indians are currently plagued with depression and are learning to cope with it” the study said.
Now days we found that life situations can contribute to depression in young people .and we found that many young age children are suffering with this. Feeling sad or moody sometimes is a part of life. Young people can feel sad and worried about life events such as exam fights with family or friends, changing schools or moving house. Sometimes the feelings of sadness go on for weeks or months and effect everyday life. if a young person feels miserable most of the time and finds it difficult to get motivated, they may have depression – a serious illness that can affect people of all ages.
Suicide is a common cause of death in young people, so depression should be taken seriously . Suicide has tremendously increased in the last few months. With loss of jobs and other employment opportunities, the youngsters are finding it difficult to adjust with this new phase. It is a fact, that nobody was ready for this but yet, every day, every individual is doing his best to survive.
SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION
- Feeling irritable or grumpy
- feeling tired
- feeling worthless or guilty most of the time
- Having thoughts of death or suicide
- having trouble sleeping-either falling asleep or staying asleep.
- lacking motivation and feeling everything is too hard
- losing interest in food or eating too much
- losing weight or gaining weight
- Using cigarettes, alcohol or illegal drugs.
TREATMENT FOR DEPRESSION
Encourage young people to talk about how they feel with someone they know and trust, such as a parent, teacher, school, counselor, family member or friend.
An important next step is for the person to visit their doctor to visit their doctor to learn whether they have depression and what can be done to treat it. Support for people with depression can include psychological therapy that focuses on building skills to deal with life stresses and to change negative thinking patterns.
Your doctor may also add antidepressant medication to the treatment plan. It can take up to 6 weeks to feel better after treatment with medication begins, but most people will notice an improvement. Encourage them to speak with their doctor about any changes in their moods.
SELF HELP TIPS FOR IMPROVING MENTAL HEALTH;
- Exercising regularly
- Eating healthy food
- Practicing relaxation techniques
- Doing something enjoyable.
Many people find it hard to ask for professional help and sometimes young people do not want to go to a healthcare professional. If this is the case, you could let them know that depression is common and that you are concerned. Try give them some information about depression and also point out some of the comprehensive websites (such as youthbeyondblue, Kids Helpline, Lpline, Reachout and headspace) as well as the online and telephone counselling services available for people.
Simple Communication, can help a person to stop from being depressed. Though in some cases, therapy and long term treatment may be the requirement. It is important that educational institutions take upon themselves to inform their students and remove the stigma of visiting a Counsellor. The problem in our society is that we think that a person, who need help to checkup on his mental health must be a mad person. But the reality is entirely different.
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