“Screen teenagers annually for depression”
USA - Should teenagers face annual screenings for depression? Under new guidelines from an American doctors’ group, all children aged 12 and above would be questioned about their mental health every year. On Monday the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) published new guidance that adolescents should be examined every year from the age of 12 to ensure those with depression can get timely help. Meanwhile, on Friday, the UK government finished consulting on a green paper on adolescent mental health, which focuses on early intervention and suggests schools should play a more central role. Strategies include mental health awareness training for school staff and incorporating mental health into personal, social and health education lessons. Many teenagers are not diagnosed until adulthood, and doctors believe helping vulnerable teenagers early on could help prevent them suffering in silence. Mental health campaigners have said screening for depression is just one piece of the puzzle. “My depression started during my childhood and worsened from the age of 13, and I was admitted into hospital at 14,” said 21-year-old mental health campaigner May Gabriel. Gabriel said if she had been screened for depression at 12 she might have received treatment before she became so ill she attempted to take her own life.
“Many young people are not sure where or how to get help, or even that they may need help, and integrating mental health with regular services in this way would enable more young people to get help.” Sarah Kendrick, of children’s mental health charity Place2Be, said more than half of all mental health problems start before the age of 14.
“It is by picking up on problems early and helping children and young people to build their resilience that we can equip them with the tools they need to cope with life’s difficulties and to thrive as adults,” she said.
“Continuous support, and an open environment in which [children] are encouraged to talk about their feelings, enables early identification of any problems or challenges.”
(The Guardian)