In the wake of the alarming results from a recently released 2014 Bromfield youth risk survey, School Psychologist Dr. Susan Downing and School Adjustment Counselor Susan Chlapowski last Thursday presented a small audience of moms and teachers in the Bromfield library with facts about depression, anxiety, and the school’s suicide-prevention program.
In the survey, 20 percent of eighth-graders and 12.5 percent of high school students at Bromfield reported hurting themselves on purpose over the past 12 months. On top of that, 8.4 percent of eighth-grade and 14.1 percent of high school respondents reported seriously considering suicide within the past year. Finally, 5.4 percent of high school respondents—or roughly 20 students—reported that they actually attempted suicide during the 12 months prior to the survey.
Communication is key
Depression is happening at Bromfield and it’s important for the community to talk about it, Downing told the group. She emphatically encouraged parents to talk with their children about their family’s mental health history, just as they would about any other medical condition, such as glaucoma, heart disease, or diabetes. This communication, she said, though it may seem small, is an enormously important part of tackling mental health issues and ending the stigma surrounding them. She underscored that it’s important for all parents to talk with their children about depression, because even if it isn’t happening to their own child, statistically it’s probably happening to one of their friends. “There’s easily one child in each homeroom that is suffering from depression,” she said.
Downing explained (and parent attendees confirmed after the meeting) that many people are afraid of discussing mental health because they think if they do, their friends will believe that either they or their children have an illness, something that is somehow shameful. This suppressed discussion of mental health issues can lead to bigger problems, Downing said. She pointed out that not talking about depression doesn’t protect a child from getting it; in fact, it likely makes the problem worse. She explained the cycle: When people don’t talk about depression, people don’t know the signs and symptoms, and when people don’t know the signs and symptoms, they go undiagnosed—like 80 percent of adolescents with depression. When early depression goes undiagnosed and untreated, she said, it is more likely to recur later in life and more likely to be worse.
Depression is biological, said Downing; there is a neurochemical imbalance in the brain of a depressed individual. Treatment ranges from talk therapy to medication and even hospitalization, but finding and treating depression early is key.
Of course, one reason to treat depression early on is to prevent the illness from possibly escalating to suicidal thoughts. Students and parents need to understand the signs and symptoms of suicide, and the second half of the night’s presentation focused on those. Chlapowski explained the Signs of Suicide (SOS) program that has become part of the school’s curriculum.
Chlapowski encourages students who see suicidal signs in someone to A-C-T, an acronym for acknowledge, care, and tell: Acknowledge your friend has a problem, let your friend know you care, and tell a trusted adult. As part of Bromfield’s health and wellness curriculum, students are shown a video to teach them how to recognize signs of potential suicide. Downing and Chlapowski explained that the signs and symptoms are diverse, including but not limited to withdrawing from activities previously enjoyed, sudden weight gain or loss, excessive sleeping, feelings of isolation, feelings of worthlessness, negative self-comments, listening to lots of sad music, and change in academic performance.
Downing pointed out that sustained stress and anxiety can lead to depression. She acknowledged that it can be hard for parents to differentiate normal teenage development and depression. It’s normal to eat more and sleep more as you grow, she said. It’s also normal for teenagers to be irritable, she added, but it’s not normal to always be upset.
Stopping depression early
The presentation emphasized that starting to talk about depression like a medical illness is the first step toward ending the stigma surrounding mental health issues and an important one toward battling depression in its early stages. Downing, Chlapowski, and the video all underscored one thing: There is nothing worse than losing a friend or loved one to something preventable like suicide. Speaking up when you see a friend in trouble and erring on the side of overreacting are very important when it comes to depression.
You can learn more about the signs and symptoms of depression at www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/teen-depression/basics/symptoms/con-20035222 and find local resources through msppinterface.org.
