Behind the Screen
Illinois Youth Survey shows social media as primary factor for teenage depression .
What concerns local teens the most ? Many would assume that drugs and alcohol , bullying , or body image would top the list . In fact , according to the 3,159 students polled by the Illinois Youth Survey ( IYS ), depression and suicide are now the biggest concerns for eighth grade students in a seven-county area . In all , 38 percent of eighth-graders surveyed listed depression or suicide as their top health concern for people their age .
Sarah Bush Lincoln Child Psychiatrist Katie Hecksel , MD , explains , “ Adolescents and teenagers developmentally have a difficult time seeing beyond an immediate stressor or tolerating strong emotions without acting on them ,” she added , “ This makes them more susceptible to act on suicidal thoughts , particularly when encouraged by others .”
Jeremie Smith , Mattoon Middle School principal said that the results of the survey are not surprising . “ The concern is legitimate ,” Smith said , “ We are seeing a distinct increase in the number of students using mental health services because of behavioral , social , emotional , even physical issues having to do with depression .”
According to Smith , many instances of teen depression are beyond the repair of the schools . With a limited number of staff trained to deal with such emotional issues , he said the effort to assist these teens can feel like “ putting a Band-Aid on a chainsaw wound .” Smith said there are several factors that can cause a teen to feel depressed , but he attributes the results of the survey to one primary source : social media .
Dr . Hecksel said there is data to support Smith ’ s opinion . Medical studies have indicated that victims of cyberbullying are twice as likely to attempt suicide than students who are not experiencing bullying . Interestingly , cyberbullies themselves were 1.5 times more likely to have attempted suicide than children who were neither cyberbullying offenders , nor victims . According to Dr . Hecksel , this would suggest that there could be significant public health benefit in providing mental health interventions for both those getting cyberbullied , as well as those doing the cyberbullying .
“ Social media unfortunately gives bullies a safety net to hide behind , the ability to pose as others , be anonymous , or say and do things they would never do if forced to confront someone in person ,” Dr . Hecksel said .
4 healthstyles august 2017