Pam Dudding-Burch
Contributing writer
Can life really be that difficult for kids at a young age? They have no responsibilities, payments, taxes or debts. How can this tragedy happen to the youth of today?
Sadly, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), in 2015, 29.9 percent of all high school aged youth in the United States reported being depressed at some point over the past year. That is more than seven million youth nationwide which equates to one out of every four.
Self-reported depression is considered when over a period of two weeks or longer, a person stops doing normal activities due to feelings of sadness or hopelessness. This statistic is scary, to say the least, but what does it mean to Craig County?
J.D. Carlin, the Prevention Specialist of Prevention Services with Blue Ridge Behavioral Healthcare, shared that the reality is that the data for Craig County is much scarier and more concerning. Carlin is also a team member of CCPT, Craig County Prevention Planning Team (CPPT) and RAYSAC (Roanoke Area Youth Substance Abuse Coalition).
“On the most recent Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) implemented in 2017, 34.8 percent of Craig County high school age youth self-reported having been depressed in the past year,” he said. “That’s one out of every three youth!” (Remember, nationwide is one out of every four.)
Some believe that tough times are just part of life. “You’re right, but depression isn’t about tough times, it is much more than that,” Carlin explained. “Depression is a major reason youth start thinking about suicide, which 18.9 percent of Craig County high school age youth reported doing in the past year on that same survey.”
If one does the math, it is practically one out of every five Craig County high school age youth admitting they thought about killing themselves in the past 12 months.
Carlin added, “If that’s not scary enough for you, 13.3 percent of Craig County aged youth self-reported actually attempting suicide in the past year on that same survey, which is more than one out of every eight. Think about eight teenagers you know, eight teens that spend time at your house or you know from Food Country or Subway or even eight teens that attend the same church as you. Statistically speaking, one of those eight teens you are thinking about right now has attempted to end their lives.”
RAYSAC, CPPT and CC Schools, along with the citizens of Craig, surely feel that they want to help these teens. However, before that can happen, one has to know what to look for.
“Let’s be honest, being a teenager is difficult. Many times, a teen is not suffering from depression as much as they have just had a bad day or did not get enough sleep last night,” Carlin said. “The fact is that a lot of times, teens themselves don’t even know what they are feeling nor are unsure how to express what they are thinking.”
It is believed that the responsibility lies with the adults, to know what is going on in a teen’s life and to be on the lookout for signs of depression that have lasted two or more weeks and are apparently interfering with the teen’s daily life.
Carlin and the teams help with recognizing some signs of depression in teenagers: eating or sleeping changes, a sudden change in school performance, withdrawing from close friends and/or family, risk-taking behaviors; drug or alcohol use; sadness. Some more include overreaction to criticism, expressing hopelessness about the future, unexplained aches and pains, and even being on their phone all the time.
Ultimately, according to CDC statistics, in 2014, suicide was the second leading cause of death for youth between the ages of 10-19.
The teams encourage parents, “If you do feel your child might be depressed, please seek immediate medical or behavioral health attention from a professional. There are many kinds of treatment out there from therapy to medication. But left untreated, depression can become life-threatening.”
They added, “Don’t wait! Call your doctor and make an appointment if you have concerns. And if you feel your youth is in immediate danger, call 911 right away.”
For more information, visit the RAYSAC blog at www.raysac.org or contact J. D. Carlin, CPPT Secretary, and Prevention and Wellness Specialist with Blue Ridge Behavioral Healthcare, at jcarlin@brbh.org.
Recognizing that most people have compelling reasons for fighting through their pain, a repeated quote from the suicide hotline is; “When you feel like giving up, just remember the reason why you held on for so long!”
