According to Young Minds, in a school of 1,000 pupils aged 14 -18, 50 of them might be
seriously depressed. As many as 1 in 5 could be affected at some time. We investigate why
more and more teenagers are suffering from mental illness.


A difficult time
Being a teenager has always been
difficult. Emotions and moods change
rapidly. Many teenagers feel confused and
afraid when the safety of childhood is left
behind. These days, experts say that
things are even harder. Peter Wilson, the
Director of Young Minds, says,
"We live in particularly difficult times for a
growing youngster. There are huge
cultural pressures and a lot of broken
homes. Kids may have difficult
relationships with parents, or in other
cases, have no one to support them."


No one is happy all the time
Everyone feels unhappy, lonely or
misunderstood from time to time. But a
small number of teenagers become
depressed for weeks or months without
change, and they begin to find that they
can't continue with their normal lives.
Many teenagers don't want to ask, or don't
know how to ask for help. Perhaps they
don't even realize they are depressed. It is
usually other people - friends, parents and
teachers, who identify the symptoms of
depression and offer help. One teenager
explained that after a close friend had
died, "I stopped believing that anything
could be any good anymore. I became
very aggressive, I snapped at my parents
and I lost touch with friends. Things were
bad for me for a year until, fortunately for
me, a teacher noticed that things were
wrong."
If you recognize these symptoms
in yourself or a friend, there are lots of
things that can be done. You can't expect
yourself, or someone else to just 'snap out
of it'. You need to find ways to cope with
the feelings.


How to help yourself or someone else
If you are worried about a friend, listen to
their problems and try to be sympathetic,
and be patient. Most importantly, try and
help them find help. If you're feeling blue
yourself, don't panic – you need to try and
understand your emotions. You are not
the first person to feel like this. Try writing
things down in a diary or talking to a
friend. Perhaps writing a poem or song,
drawing a picture or listening to music will
help you express and understand your
emotions. But most importantly of all, do
something you enjoy, whether it's
watching TV, playing sport or just going
for a walk.
Talk to someone
It is a good idea for teenagers who feel
depressed to try and talk to someone they
like and feel comfortable with. But if they
don't want to talk to friends and family,
there are lots of people who are there to
help. They could talk to their teacher or
school nurse or maybe their doctor.
Alternatively, there are telephone help
lines which give confidential help to
anyone with a problem. Talking to
someone might help others to cope with
how they are feeling.


There is someone who can help
Sometimes, depression can become a
very serious problem, and teenagers think
about trying to escape their feelings. They
might consider suicide or self injury. When
the problem has got so bad, professional
help from qualified specialist counselors is
vital. Counselors are trained to talk to
people about their worries and problems.
It is important to remember that everyone
feels sad and unhappy sometimes, it is
natural. Remember that, no matter how
bad you feel, the feelings of sadness and
happiness will come to an end.
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