16 minute read
Mental health illnesses and
from December 2019
by Le Journal
GEN Z wrestles
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GEN Z wrestles
with Multiple layers of Mental health
Mental illness and suicide is increasing in Generation Z partly due to the increased stress the Generation feels. But there has also been an increase in willingness to go to professionals for help, chipping away at the stigma.
STORY AND DESIGN BY AVA STOLTZ PRINT COEDITOR-IN-CHIEF AND MADELINE HAMMETT COPY EDITOR
The numbers are staggering. Mental illness diagnoses have increased over 50% in Generation Z, according to Pew Research Center. The number of teenagers who have experienced depression increasing 59% between 2007 and 2017. The suicide rate has increased in the United States over the past 10 years and in Generation Z specifically, there has also been a steady increase, according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
“Many adults today are coming to terms with this notion of mental health as something like a physical injury or traditional physical illness,” Assistant Director for Student Life at Rockhurst High School Chris Bosco said. “It needs to be addressed in a specific manner, and you don’t try to hide it.”
Even with all these diagnoses and stats, it’s important to keep in mind that the mentality around mental health has also changed. More teenagers are reaching out for therapy than any other generation, according to the American Psychological Association, and the stigma around mental health is slowly fading.
“I think that when we see an increase in any mental health issue, it means we have better diagnostic systems,” licensed psychologist in Leawood Dr. Kristin Koetting said. “It’s like saying this person has cancer and died of cancer, whereas 50 years ago, we didn’t know what that was. I think we have to look at both of those pieces.”
Generation Z, defined as people born from 1997 to 2010, has been recently labeled the most stressed generation alive, according to the American Psychological Association. They are more stressed than other generations about topics like mass shootings, growing suicide rates, climate change and widespread sexual assault charges. According to this study, Generation Z is the most likely generation to report poor mental health, with only 45% of them identifying themselves as having very good or excellent mental health.
“Stress plays a huge role in mental health, especially in high school,” senior and Mental Health Club president Fiona Gowin said. “We are all very stressed out, and if you look at the statistics, stress is now becoming more of a factor in our everyday lives, especially in teens and adolescents. Lots of mental health conditions are triggered by periods of stress, and prolonged stress of any type is bad for anyone.”
ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION
Anxiety and depression are the two most common mental illnesses in America and in teenagers specifically, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. Yet, even with roughly 25% of teens being affected by anxiety, only 40% are getting treatment, and in teens with depression, only 20% are getting treated, according to the ADAA.
Anxiety is a general term that encompasses many different types including general anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder and specific phobias. Women are twice as likely to be affected by GAD, PD and specific phobias, according to the ADAA.
Symptoms of anxiety can include an increased heart rate, feeling nervous or on edge, having trouble sleeping or an impending sense of danger. Anxiety treatment options usually include therapy and medication if needed. Even though anxiety affects millions of Americans, people are still reluctant to get treatment, and less than half affected by mental illness go to some type of doctor or therapist, according to the ADAA.
“The first time you start developing a mental illness, the average time between developing that bad depression or bad anxiety and getting treatment is about 11 years,” Psychiatrist at Research Medical Center Dr. Philip Khoury said.
Therapy is the first line of defense for most teenagers with anxiety. For mild to moderate anxiety, medication is normally avoided and therapy alone is enough to help teens and adults conquer their symptoms and live a healthy life, according to the American Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry. These therapy sessions normally consist of helping the patients learn different ways to cope with their stress and trigger points while learning how their thoughts can contribute to their anxiety symptoms.
“We recommend people start with therapy first,” Director, Intake Services at St. Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City Crittenton Children’s Center Amanda Davis, LPC said. “We do know that if it is to the point where they need medication, it is best to have therapy and medication at the same time because that’s where you will get your best outcome and results.”
There are two main types of medicines used to treat anxiety which are Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, which are the most common medication prescribed for teenagers, and Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors. SSRIs include medications like Prozac, Celexa and Zoloft. These medications increase the levels of serotonin in the brain by blocking serotonin in the brain from being reabsorbed by the neurons, and therefore making it more available to the brain. Both SSRIs and SNRIs affect neurotransmitters in the brain to perform their tasks.
Serotonin in the brain regulates anxiety, happiness and overall mood in an individual which makes it affect anxiety levels in individuals. Serotonin is also prevalent in the treatment of depression, as low levels of serotonin have been linked to symptoms of depression.
The length of time that the medication is needed for anxiety depends on the individual. The story continued on page 16
Apps to Help with Mindfulness
Calm Helps with sleep, meditation and relaxation complete with music, nature scenes, gentle stretches and guided meditation. Headspace Teaches you to meditate through guided meditation and helps with contemplation.
Mindfulness Emphasizes meditation for all levels and helping lessen stress and promote stress relief.
length of time spent on medication depends on the symptoms, the effectiveness of therapy and the length of remission.
“In the very beginning, you’re always trying to use medication just as a tool to settle something down,” Dr. Khoury said. “In children, you try not to use medication and use therapy instead. However, when it gets to have a serious impact on their lives that they can’t function and can’t work or get through school - that’s when you start thinking there needs to be something more and medications are used with therapy.”
Depression is another common mental illness in teenagers. About 3.2 million teenagers experienced at least one major depressive episode in 2017 and one in five girls experienced at least one major depressive episode that year as well, according to the Pew Research Center. Women and girls are more likely to be affected by depression than their male counterparts, but they are also more likely to seek treatment, with 45% seeking treatment compared to 33% of teenage boys, according to Pew Research Center.
“[A major depressive episode] is a technical diagnosis, and it requires that somebody is feeling down for more days than not for a two week time period,” Davis said. “There’s different levels of that it can be a severe, moderate or mild episode, and which type it is depends on how much it interferes with their life.”
The two common forms of depression are Major Depressive Disorder and Persistent Depressive Disorder, also called dysthymia. Major Depressive Disorder is characterized by the main symptoms of an overwhelming feeling of sadness and a loss of interest in usual activities. Other symptoms include constant fatigue, insomnia and feelings of excessive or inappropriate guilt. These symptoms last for at least two weeks and is a significant change from the person’s previous functioning.
“Depression is basically a mood disorder that results in a pretty persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interests and normal activities,” Dr. Koetting said. “It can lead to different behavioral and physical symptoms, like, for example, changes in sleep patterns or energy levels.”
Dysthymia is a less common form of depression that lasts over two years. It is characterized by a dark or sad mood that impacts the patient almost daily. The symptoms are not as severe as Major Depressive disorder, but the patient may also experience a major depressive episode during this time.
Like with anxiety, therapy and medicine are the most common ways to treat depression, with therapy being the initial go-to to try to treat the illness without having to use medication. Depression medicines include Prozac and Lexapro for teen depression.
“The rule of thumb is to treat someone with medication for six months after remission, which means they have almost no symptoms of depression,” Dr. Khoury said. “If you have repeated episodes [of depression], you chances of having them happen again go higher and higher in your life.”
One unique thing about depression is that it is often coupled with anxiety. In fact, nearly 50% of those diagnosed with depression are also diagnosed with some type of anxiety disorder, according to the Pew Research Center.
“One in five people a year are dealing with depression,” Dr. Khoury said. “Those stats show you aren’t alone out there. That’s one of the biggest things about getting help, is getting people to realize that if other people can get better, then so can they.”
Anxiety and depression are so prevalent today, but not everyone has access to, the money for and the willingness to go to therapy. If you can’t go to a therapist, but are struggling dealing with issues in your life and are not at a point of crisis, small changes can make a big difference in your mental health, according to Davis.
“There’s definitely thing people can do before they get to the point of seeking professional help,” Davis said. “Basic things like getting enough sleep, eating well and exercise has an enormous effect on depression and anxiety, and I would recommend that as the very first thing people try if they are noticing that their mood has changed. Also mindfulness is really accessible and helpful to mental health. There are tons of apps and videos and its something that can be self taught and practiced at home.” THE STIGMA REIGNS
Fifty years ago, people died from unidentified diseases now known as cancer. Now people have diagnosed depression that isn’t circumstantial whereas 15 years ago depression was only “allowed” if you had gone through something horrible and even then it wasn’t tolerated for long, according to Dr. Koetting. The current generation is recognizing depression as a constant, regardless of the circumstances.
“I do talk to parents, unfortunately, still
MENTAL ILLNESS ON THE BRAIN Mental illness causes the brain to be negatively physically affected in different areas. The brains below illustrate the most detrimentally effected area of the brain by the named mental illness.
Anxiety Depression Stress Senior Maddy Rogers
Junior Riley Weaver “We need to have more conversations about making sure our friends and the people around us are okay and how to check in on them, not just talking about suicide like it’s very far away from us.”
today, who do feel like not everybody should see a therapist,” Counselor Lara King said.
Stigma is a very key component to why people struggling with mental health may hesitate to reach out for help or never reach out at all. The stigma around mental health first formed theoretically in the middle of the 20th century and moved on to form empirically in 1970, according to the NCBI. This is why sometimes parents and grandparents don’t look at mental health as what it is, an illness, but instead it can be seen by the older generation as a choice or a circumstantial feeling.
“The main thing we can do to help get rid of the stigma is just education,” King said. “Open dialogue and education is always helpful.”
The reality is that one in four people will experience a mental health problem at some point in their life, according to the Mental Health Foundation. Stigma or no stigma, mental health is serious and must be acknowledged as an illness, similar to the flu, as opposed to a feeling.
“Unfortunately, people don’t consider mental health part of their overall well being as much as they should,” King said.
Overtime, society has stereotyped people struggling with mental health as crazy, dangerous and violent. This has led to discrimination and stigma which has a negative effect on the people being stereotyped. Nine out of 10 people with mental health problems say that stigma has negative impacts on their lives, according to the Mental Health Foundation. Even as attitudes towards mental health issues have changed, especially after the Equality Act of 2010, the stigma still remains, specifically in the generations parenting and grandparenting today’s teens.
“Even though we’ve come a long way in terms of mental health parity,” Dr. Koetting said, “There’s still a stigma associated with having mental health challenges.”
Stigma that comes along with mental health problems today can often make strugglers feel as if they are invalid leading to isolation and shame, according to Very Well Mind. The real shift that is happening between the parenting generation and
Sophomore Abby Thornhill
“I think we should have check-ins to make sure everyone is doing okay, and just focusing on everyone individually instead of a big group of people.
Freshman Chloe Reid “I think we should have meditation because it helps kids focus more on themselves because sometimes when kids aren’t focused on themselves, they can’t focus on anything else.”
the parented generation is viewing mental health as circumstantial versus an actual illness. “Even though we have come far, we still have a long way to go,” Dr. Koetting said.
There are two types of stigma, social stigma and self-perceived stigma around mental health problems, according to Psychology Today. Both are very common when it comes to mental health. Social stigma is characterized by prejudicial attitudes and discriminatory behavior towards people with mental health problems as a result of the psychiatric label that they have been given, according to Psychology Today. Self-perceived stigma is the internalizing by the mental health sufferer of their perceptions of discrimination, and that perceived stigma can significantly affect feelings of shame and lead to poorer treatment and outcomes, according to Psychology Today.
“People having very open conversations is really helping reduce that stigma,” Dr. Koetting said. “I think that, in some cases, stigma does stop people from reaching out for help.”
While the stigma around mental health is stronger in the older generations, teenagers today still need to be careful. In 2010, 62% of adolescents received stigma from their peers which led to gossip and friendship losses according to a study done by the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The stigma circulating mental health problems causes sufferers to be less likely to reach out for help, more likely to feel ashamed and more likely to only get worse according to Very Well Mind.
“We can always advocate for more knowledge,” King said. “And that’s everywhere, across the board.”
Luckily, the stigma is going away. More teens are reaching out for help than ever before. This is good considering more teens are also struggling with mental health more than ever before, according to the APA. The National Alliance on Mental Illness provides several key ways to fight the stigma. Talking openly about mental health with parents, friends, counselors and in schools while educating oneself and others on what mental health truly is, not the stereotype, is important.
“Unfortunately, there is still a stigma,” King said. “But because of social media and all the news outlets that are focusing on mental health and suicide prevention, I think that stigma is subsiding.”
Being conscious of what language one is using when discussing mental health issues as well as encouraging and advocating for equality between physical and mental illnesses is important to fight the stigma. Being honest about treatment and showing compassion while also choosing empowerment of shame for those struggling also helps to fight the stigma. Lastly, not harboring self-stigma not only helps oneself, but also shares the right message with those around, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
“I feel like girls at Sion are pretty unique in that they’ve always come to the counselors for help,” King said. “The girls have a place that they can go, whether they choose to talk to a counselor or not.”
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Struggling with mental health is never something that someone should have to deal with alone. Confide in someone, whether that be a parent, teacher, another trusted adult or even a close friend. The first step in healing is telling someone what is going on. Reach out for help. Psychologists, therapists and school counselors are put in place specifically to help teenagers struggling with mental health, so reach out for help. Explain to those you love. Help people who love you understand what you are going through, if they are hesitant, try explaining mental health in comparison to a broken bone or the flu.
“If you had a broken bone, of course we wouldn’t say ‘oh, you’ll get over it’, you’d go to the doctor,” King said. “But people still think, anxiety, it’ll pass, depression, it’ll pass, you’ll get over it rather than seeking help.”
To those who are confided in, remember that the life of a friend is more important than keeping a promise. Tell a trusted adult and a school counselor if a concern for a life arises. Defeating the stigma and fighting the mental health epidemic running rampant across the country is something that requires all hands on deck. Don’t be afraid to speak out, ask for help and advocate for more resources.
“Yes you are a student, you are a daughter,” Kidd said. “But you are also a person and you have to take care of you.”
Story continued on LeJournallive.com
POSTERS FOR CHANGE
Seniors Chloe Meisel and Fiona Gowin work on posters before school that raise awareness about how to help friends who are struggling with mental illness or stress.
Mental Health Awareness Club
President: senior Fiona Gowin Sponsors: Counselors Lara King and Karen Phillips Mental Health Awareness club was started this year by senior Fiona Gowin after she saw the need for more mental health help that was done by the students. The club’s main focuses have been to bring awareness to mental illness in the school and work towards erasing stigma around mental illness. They are currently putting together a resources tile on the resources page on Oncampus that will have links to different websites pertaining to mental illness. “I got the idea because I think there is a huge audience that would like to learn about mental health and the issues surrounding it,” Gowin said. “There’s a need for the club because we need more awareness around mental health issues and more education.”
(Illustrations by Emma Hutchin, Madeline Hammett, Ava Stoltz and Paula Sweeny)
Mental Health Survey (based on a poll of 157 students)
94.9% think stress plays a role in their mental health
98.1%
know someone with anxiety
78.3%
agree that most of their stress comes from school and homework
65.6%
believe mental health issues are on the rise in Generation Z 88.5% know someone with depression
52.2%
know someone who has taken their own life
