Depression

CONTENTS PAGE PHASE 1 “THE PROJECT PLAN” 3 - 4 Focus Questions Operational Definitions Explanation Outline Data Collection Secondary Data Bibliography Time-Line PHASE 2 “THE PROJECT DIARY AND RESEARCH PROJECT” Abstract Acknowledgements Body of Report Body – Literature Review Body – Methodology – Data Collection Body – Results – Record of Data Collected Body – Analysis and Discussion Body – Summary and Conclusions Bibliography Appendix The Project Diary and Research Project Abstract What my intentions are of this project is to gain a better understanding of depression in adolescents, and how this mental health affects not just the person affected by depression but also their friends and family’s wellbeing and how it affects their everyday life. Acknowledgements I would like to acknowledge the many people who were there to help me be able to succeed in this assessment, by either lending me information, letting me interview them, helping me by proof reading my assessment and just putting up with me when I was stressful and annoyed with doing the assessment. I would especially like to recognise my friends who let me interview them, my counsellor Monica from ICAMHS, my mummy, daddy, poppy, and Mrs Powell and Mrs Johnson who put up with me when I was ready to give up and reading over my assignment. Body – literature review Through the information which I have collected the definition of depression is a condition of general emotional dejection and withdrawal, sadness greater and more prolonged than that warranted by any objective reason. There are many different types of depression which can effect anyone either boy, girl, man or women at anytime in their life. People are more likely to get depression if they are biologically predisposed, have recently experienced loss, separation/divorce in family, major financial problems, messed up home life or breaking up with a boyfriend/girlfriend just naming a few. There are a variety of symptoms which are noticeable when a person/you are suffering from depression such as they feel sad and cry a lot for no reason, you feel guilty for no reason, feel worthless, have no confidence, have troubles sleeping, eating habits change, feel restless, tired most of time, talk about death and committing suicide, and irritated often. The two most significant treatment options available are counselling which consists of talking to a counsellor/psychotherapist about your feelings. They can help you change your relationships, thoughts or behaviours that are causing depression. The other is medicine, which is when the doctor prescribes anti-depressant medication which are not ‘uppers’ or addictive. Through my research I also found out that girls/women are more likely to have depression than boys/men as they keep their entire feelings internal where as boys/men express their feelings usually through anger and frustration. There are many help services in the community which does not just concentrate on the individual with depression but also the individual’s family member to help them through the difficult time and to help them to help the individual at home and in the community. Although there are many help services in the community it was surprising to find out through my interviews that there are a few people who really do not know about help services in the community. Body – Methodology – data collection The data collection methods which I used were secondary such as books, and the internet as well as primary which were my interviews. The books which I used to gain information were ‘Issues in Society- Depression’ by the Spinney Press, and ‘Stress and Depression’ by Sarah Lennard – Brown. The websites which gave me a wide range of information which was useful were websites such as Beyond Blue, Life Line, and Kids Help Line. I have had personal experience with depression and suicide, which is a reason why I really wanted to do my IRP on depression in adolescents. I have seen the way in which my depression has not only affected myself but also my friends and especially my family. Depression made me feel down, worthless, like I should not even be here and so many people would be better off is I was gone and as if I can just do nothing at all. You change as a person when you have depression, but it affects different people in different ways. I know with my depression I got very angry, did not want any of my family members around me except my mum, I got tangled up in the wrong crowd of people, my relationship with friends was shaky, and I just was not myself. So many people were telling me that they understand what I am going through, and I honestly just thought they were full of crap; they did not know anything about what I am going through and what I am feeling. I just kept going downhill. I would basically cry myself to sleep because I didn’t want to be here that much, and then I didn’t want to wake up in the morning and go to school, because I felt everyone just thought I was a freak and I felt so alone. I began to slit my wrists which would make all my anger and pain come out, and then tried to commit suicide many of times by either stabbing myself or jumping in front of cars or buses Body – results Body – analysis and discussion Body – summary and conclusions Bibliography Appendix Monica – counsellor What is your help service called' ICAMHS (Infant, Child, Adolescent Mental Health Service) How can people get in contact with your service' Call us; 4621 5000, and they need to bring a professional referral. What is your help service/ what does your help service do' Mental health, see kids aged 4 – 18 diagnosed with a mental health condition. What type of people do you come into contact with at your service' Children, teenagers with mental health concerns. What treatment options can you provide youths in the community and their families' Family therapy, individual counselling, medication management, case management. What is the main cause for depression in teenagers' Biologically predisposition and psycho social stresses. Are boys or girls most likely to suffer from depression' Why' Girls are more likely to suffer depression because they have a higher biologically predisposition, and also due to the fact that girls choose internalising style of coping and boys choose externalising style. Friends/Family Person 1. Do you know anyone with depression' Yes, I do. What were the signs and symptoms' Upset all the time, don’t talk and I just had a feeling. Was there a reasonable cause' Yes. How did it impact on daily life' Wouldn’t get as much done, friendships fell apart, and couldn’t concentrate. What steps did you take to help this person and yourself' Talk to them about it, would not take NO for an answer and if it got really bad, told someone who could help them. What did you feel was the most important thing which helped yourself and the other person overcome the problem' Being there for them. What community support systems did you know were available and did you access' School counsellor, beyond blue. Person 2. Do you know anyone with depression' Yes. What were the signs and symptoms' Quiet, upset, and tired. Was there a reasonable cause' No. How did it impact on daily life' They were always sad, couldn’t be as happy and joyful as normal. What steps did you take to help this person and yourself' Comfort them, ask questions, make them feel welcome and included. What did you feel was the most important thing which helped yourself and the other person overcome the problem' To know that were there to help. What community support systems did you know were available and did you access' Kids help line, counsellors, and teachers. Person 3. Do you know anyone with depression' Yes What were the signs and symptoms' Stressed, don’t know what they are doing, lethargic, uninterested. Was there a reasonable cause' No there was not, but for the person that has the depression there is. How did it impact on daily life' Tremendously. They cease doing normal activities, and mope about. What steps did you take to help this person and yourself' Talk to them, try to explain things to them, and care for them. What did you feel was the most important thing which helped yourself and the other person overcome the problem' Talking it over. What community support systems did you know that are available' ICAMHS, Kids Help Line. Person 4. Do you know anyone with depression' Yes. What were the signs and symptoms' Angry, easily agitated, withdrawn, snappy and upset for little or no reason. Was there a reasonable cause' No. How did it impact on daily life' Activity ceased to happen, inability to complete any tasks, difficulty interacting with friends and family and routines changed to cater for needs of depressed person. What steps did you take to help this person and yourself' Talk to school counsellor and school staff, consult friends and family, visit local doctor, visit counsellors, and seek hospital intervention, regular ongoing counselling and monitoring. What did you feel was the most important thing which helped yourself and the other person overcome the problem' Identifying the problem and dealing with it with the correct support. What community support systems did you know were available and did you access' Counsellors, Headspace, ICAMHS, Kids Help Line and beyond blue. BIBLIOGRAPHY WEBSITES: http://www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/HealthTopicDetails.aspx'p=243&np=293&id=2157 http://www.beyondblue.org.au/index.aspx' http://www.psychologyinfo.com/depression/teens.htm http://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/docs/Depressioninadolescentsandyoungpeople.pdf http://helpguide.org/mental/depression_teen.htm BOOKS: Stress and Depression by Sarah Lennard – Brown Issues in Society Depression by the Spinney Press Editor Justin Healey Time Line Task to complete | Week | Completed | | | | 1. Project Plan | | | * Select a topic | 2 | * | *Developed research questions | 2 | * | *Identify information sources | 2 – 3 | * | *Review secondary sources | 2 – 3 | * | *Bibliography | 3 | * | *Write project plan | 3 | * | *Submit Plan | 4 | * | | | * | 2. Research and report writing | | * | | | * | *Revise literature collected | 4 | * | *Investigate research methods | 4 | * | *Develop research tool/s | 4 – 5 | * | *Conduct primary research | 5 – 6 | * | *Analyse and interpret data | 6 - 7 | * | *Write draft report/check | 7 – 8 | * | *Write final report | 8 | * | *Submit report | 9 | * | The Project Diary and Research Project Abstract What my intentions are of this project is to gain a better understanding of depression in adolescents, and how this mental health affects not just the person affected by depression but also their friends and family’s wellbeing and how it affects their everyday life. Acknowledgements I would like to acknowledge the many people who were there to help me be able to succeed in this assessment, by either lending me information, letting me interview them, helping me by proof reading my assessment and just putting up with me when I was stressful and annoyed with doing the assessment. I would especially like to recognise my friends who let me interview them, my counsellor Monica from ICAMHS, my mummy, daddy, poppy, and Mrs Powell and Mrs Johnson who put up with me when I was ready to give up and reading over my assignment. Body – literature review Body – Methodology – data collection Body – results Body – analysis and discussion Body – summary and conclusions Bibliography Appendix Monica – counsellor What is your help service called' ICAMHS (Infant, Child, Adolescent Mental Health Service) How can people get in contact with your service' Call us; 4621 5000, and they need to bring a professional referral. What is your help service/ what does your help service do' Mental health, see kids aged 4 – 18 diagnosed with a mental health condition. What type of people do you come into contact with at your service' Children, teenagers with mental health concerns. What treatment options can you provide youths in the community and their families' Family therapy, individual counselling, medication management, case management. What is the main cause for depression in teenagers' Biologically predisposition and psycho social stresses. Are boys or girls most likely to suffer from depression' Why' Girls are more likely to suffer depression because they have a higher biologically predisposition, and also due to the fact that girls choose internalising style of coping and boys choose externalising style. Friends/Family Person 1. Do you know anyone with depression' Yes, I do. What were the signs and symptoms' Upset all the time, don’t talk and I just had a feeling. Was there a reasonable cause' Yes. How did it impact on daily life' Wouldn’t get as much done, friendships fell apart, and couldn’t concentrate. What steps did you take to help this person and yourself' Talk to them about it, would not take NO for an answer and if it got really bad, told someone who could help them. What did you feel was the most important thing which helped yourself and the other person overcome the problem' Being there for them. What community support systems did you know were available and did you access' School counsellor, beyond blue. Person 2. Do you know anyone with depression' Yes. What were the signs and symptoms' Quiet, upset, and tired. Was there a reasonable cause' No. How did it impact on daily life' They were always sad, couldn’t be as happy and joyful as normal. What steps did you take to help this person and yourself' Comfort them, ask questions, make them feel welcome and included. What did you feel was the most important thing which helped yourself and the other person overcome the problem' To know that were there to help. What community support systems did you know were available and did you access' Kids help line, counsellors, and teachers. Person 3. Do you know anyone with depression' Yes What were the signs and symptoms' Stressed, don’t know what they are doing, lethargic, uninterested. Was there a reasonable cause' No there was not, but for the person that has the depression there is. How did it impact on daily life' Tremendously. They cease doing normal activities, and mope about. What steps did you take to help this person and yourself' Talk to them, try to explain things to them, and care for them. What did you feel was the most important thing which helped yourself and the other person overcome the problem' Talking it over. What community support systems did you know that are available' ICAMHS, Kids Help Line. Person 4. Do you know anyone with depression' Yes. What were the signs and symptoms' Angry, easily agitated, withdrawn, snappy and upset for little or no reason. Was there a reasonable cause' No. How did it impact on daily life' Activity ceased to happen, inability to complete any tasks, difficulty interacting with friends and family and routines changed to cater for needs of depressed person. What steps did you take to help this person and yourself' Talk to school counsellor and school staff, consult friends and family, visit local doctor, visit counsellors, and seek hospital intervention, regular ongoing counselling and monitoring. What did you feel was the most important thing which helped yourself and the other person overcome the problem' Identifying the problem and dealing with it with the correct support. What community support systems did you know were available and did you access' Counsellors, Headspace, ICAMHS, Kids Help Line and beyond blue.