By Jacob Razo, McKinzie Mangers and Lanie Callaghan, Editors
Skyler King knows how difficult the struggle with depression can be. The 2011 graduate was diagnosed with depression during his freshman year at Kaneland High School and has been receiving treatment ever since.
“I realized my depression was really bad my freshman year. I was very antisocial, very tired all the time, never wanted to even leave my house, so I never did besides for school and my job,” King, said.
King isn’t alone.
Statistics from the National Institute of Mental Health report that 26.1 percent of teens aged 12-17 suffer from depression, making it one of the most common health concerns teens today face—and one of the least talked about.
WHAT IS DEPRESSION?
Depression is a sad feeling that the person is unable to shake for weeks or months at a time. It may make them want to physically harm themselves or others, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Depression can affect anyone, but it’s particularly likely to strike teenage girls in the middle school and high school years. Depression is twice as likely in high school girls, although before the age of 13, statistics show boys and girls have similar rates, according to statistics from Anita Gurian, Ph.D. of New York University’s Child Study Center.
Depression is generally caused by an imbalance of certain chemicals in the brain, such as serotonin, and because there is a physical cause, it’s generally not possible for someone to just “snap out of it,” according to NIMH.
Social worker Patrick Trapp explained that if a student were to come to him with symptoms of being depressed, he uses the Beck’s Scale, which recognizes, predicts and treats affective disorders. This determines if they are in the mild, moderate or severe range. The severe range people may have considered or have attempted to hurt themselves.
“I don’t diagnose someone with depression; I just make sure they’re safe,” Trapp said.
A poll was conducted of 193 randomly-selected Kaneland students where they were asked questions about depression and suicide.
According to the poll, 15.7 percent of students have been officially diagnosed with depression, and the actual rate is likely higher, as many cases go undiagnosed.
THE SEASONAL CYCLE
Many people suffer from depression, but suicide rates spike in the spring—a seasonal cycle. When most people’s attitude becomes upbeat with the warmer weather, some of people don’t know what to do or how to handle it.
This is part of what makes the suicide rate the highest in the spring.
“In the spring, people don’t tend to feel as normal because everyone else is happy when they still feel depressed,” Trapp said.
Sometimes it results into them taking their lives. Dr. Kathryn Kock-Powell, clinical coordinator in the Professional Counseling department at South University, said that the reason people feel more depressed in the spring is because “they feel like everyone is happier when the spring rolls around, except for me.”
WHEN DEPRESSION LEADS TO SUICIDE
Feb. 28 began as a normal school day for Lake Forest High School students, but for freshman Will Laskero-Teskoski, it was anything but a normal day.
The car was silent as his mother drove him to school that morning. She broke the silence by saying that she loved him and that everything was going to be alright.
Laskero-Teskoski had been dropped off at school, but he never entered the building. Police found that 30 minutes later he had be struck and killed by a train, what his mother claims was a suicide.
It was the third suicide by train at Lake Forest High, which experts say is experiencing what is called a “suicide cluster,” a chain of completed suicides in a certain amount of time and area with a “contagious” element.
It’s been a serious problem at Lake Forest High School in the northern Chicago suburbs, which has had three students commit suicide in the past two years.
“It’s complicated. If you know someone who committed suicide, sometimes people have something that’s called survivor guilt,” Social worker Jean Ryan-Meyers said. “They feel responsible that they somehow could have stopped the suicide. If that person also suffers from depression, they’re at higher risk.”
Suicide touches nearly every high school nationwide, as suicide is the number three killer of teens, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
“If we hear about someone being suicidal, we assess them,” Ryan-Meyers said.
WARNING SIGNS
According to Bethany Genenbacher, the president of Illinois of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, teens will usually show warning signs of suicide in several different ways.
Some of these ways include isolation, loss of interest in what they used to enjoy or expressing the thought of killing themselves, such as “life would be better without me.” The teen may also have a plan of committing suicide or they may have difficulties sleeping or eating, Genenbacher said.
“They begin risk-taking,” Genenbacher said, as another warning sign of suicide. She explained that someone who had never used drugs or alcohol in their life might start and use it regularly due to suicidal thoughts.
One factor that increases the teen suicide rate is the copycat suicides. This occurs when someone who is already having suicidal thoughts and hears of another person who had been successful with committing suicide in a certain way. It makes the person with suicidal thoughts get the same idea and encourages them to go through with it, causing a domino effect.
Moments of depression
A poll was conducted of 193 Kaneland students, asking about issues such as suicide, depression and self-harm. Here’s what students said:
- 23% of students feel more depressed during spring than in winter.
- 66% of students have had thoughts of self-harm at times.
- 51% of students know someone who has attempted or committed suicide.
What students have to say
The poll offered short answer questions. Students’ identities remain anonymous for privacy reasons.
Q: What would you do if your friend was considering self-harm?
A: “I’d stop them and let them know that life’s good and everyone goes through hard times. Good times are better than the bad.”
A: “I would do my best to talk them out of it. I would tell a trustworthy adult or talk to my counselor outside of school.”
Q: Have you ever had to report someone who you thought might be endangering their life?
A: ”Yes, and it saved their life. I was so proud and that person thanked me. I am now a very important person in their life, and I am happy that they are still able to be a part of mine.”