Teen Depression

"I see trees of green Red roses too I see them bloom For me and you And I think to myself What a wonderful world."

The quoted verse to the song "What a Wonderful World" still inspires millions of people around the world. It is a "feeling good" song with full of "positivity." It has been used as theme song in numerous films. Hundreds, if not thousands of recorded versions, by various artists, came out since Bob Thiele (1922-1996) and George David Weiss (1921-2010) composed the song for Louis Armstrong in 1967. I believe the world needs songs such as this. We are all waiting for that simple and yet killer refrains, such as "Love, love, love, all you need is love."

Sadly, and perhaps because of over-use of social media, the very young and the teens are exposed to pressures of this day and age. Visiting the bookstore last Sunday, I saw a slogan that says: "All you need is love and the wifi password." When I showed it to my younger daughter, she said: "Funny, but it's true."

The theme in this week's article dwells on social pressures among teens. I found the need to write this after a tragic incident last January 16, when the 41 year-old drummer of Filipino heavy rock band "Razorback" jumped from his summit condominium unit to commit suicide while recording himself on Facebook in the process of ending his life. His live recording of his suicide had put more pressure to millions of teens that had the chance of watching the drummer's last video. Just a few days after, a concerned parent brought to me his daughter, claiming that the latter is suffering from depression.

What is teen depression?

It is a serious mental health problem among teens that causes a repeated episode or persistent feeling of sadness or loss of interest in activities. It affects how the teenager thinks, feels and behaves. It can cause emotional, functional and physical problems.

What factors increase the risk of triggering teen depression?

1. Issues on self-esteem (obesity, peer problems, long-term bullying, academic problems); 2. Having been the victim or witness of violence (fraternity hazing, sexual abuse, physical abuse); 3. Learning disability or attention deficit disorder (ADHD); 4. Abusive or addictive behaviors (alcohol, nicotine, drugs);

(To be continued)