Click to play videoNew Delhi: Being a teenager seems to have become more difficult than ever. A recent medical study reveals that over 13 per cent of our adolescents suffer from depression and the lack of trained psychiatrists in the country makes matters even worse.
Rashmi was a happy teenager from a small town three years ago. But while living away from family in a college hostel in Delhi took a toll on her.
She started to snap as academic stress got too much to handle. As the pressure mounted, Rashmi had to drop out and gradually sank into severe depression.
"I became unsocial and was afraid to face my friends or teachers. My parents also got depressed because of me," said Rashmi.
Back in Ranchi, Rashmi's parents finally saw the signs and took her to two psychiatrists. Today she works in a call-centre and is also completing her graduation. And instead of avoiding the issue, she talks objectively.
"That was a bad phase of my life. Teenagers must try to avoid depression as what has happened cannot be changed, but one needs to get a hold of themselves and look forward," she said with a positive attitude.
However, growing up seems to have become more trying for Indian teens. An All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) psychiatry report states:
- 90 per cent teenagers today show reluctance to attend school
- 70 per cent teens show signs of depressed mood
- 30 per cent teens have sleeping problems
- And 48 per cent think about the next step - suicide
As in the case of the Delhi Public School (DPS) student who killed herself as she was unable to deal with school pressures.
In fact, recent Indian studies suggest, every 90 minutes a teenager tries to commit suicide in India and every six hours, one succeeds.
Teenage depression was ignored for a long time as doctors held the Freudian view that teenagers are not developed enough to experience depression.
But a recent AIIMS report clearly indicates otherwise13 per cent of teens today are suffering from depression. There are hardly any schools that have counsellors to address teen issues. And even they lack adequate experience.
"We can create an infrastructure where teachers, principals, parents can be trained to deal with teens and then go to next level of trained psychiatrists," suggests Dr Arpita Anand.
The role of parents becomes crucial. A NIMHANS study revealed nearly 65 per cent parents are unaware of their children's depression. Experts suggest that parents must communicate and build a rapport with their children. And stay alert to changes in behaviour.
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