Depression among youngsters: A rising problem in Capital

With a slew of results being announced, a rise in the number of suicides by youth arising from depression is becoming more evident by the day. Experts, however, cite that suicides are a part of a much greater mental phenomenon of depression which is still largely ignored but is steadily rising among the young and adolescents  in the city.

Dr Deepak Kumar Deputy Medical Superintendent, Institute of Human Behaviour and Applied Sciences (IHBAS) mentions that depression is still not being taken seriously as a mental disorder and when it comes to depression among the young and adolescents, it is still considered as the attention seeking symptoms from their side.

Dr Kumar also highlighted the symptoms of depression like hyperactivity, lack of concentration, fatigue, lack of interest, feeling of helplessness among youngsters and reiterated  that these symptoms must be taken seriously. 

The treatment of depression according to Dr Kumar ranges from psychotherapy treatment to even medications. The reality of depression among young and adolescents can be gauged from the fact that there is a Child Psychiatric Clinic which functions every Monday in IHBAS and receives about 150 young patients.

 When asked if there a link between increased pressure and depression, Dr Uday K Sinha, Head, Psychiatry Department said: “Yes there is a relation. We call it reactive depression in which under increased stress and adversities, mental disorder of depression sets in.”

Citing the WHO statement that in 2020, depression will also be one of the major causes of physical disabilities, Dr Shobhana Mittal, consultant psychiatrist said: “Today about 20 per cent of her patients who are depressed are youngsters.”  Mittal also added that: “Today a sense of rising aggressiveness among the young can be attributed to the syndrome of depression.”

Experts highlight that acceptance of depression as a mental disease and its awareness should be paid emphasis  to especially at a time when even youngsters are getting affected by it.