Depression, anxiety major issues among teens
Q: My 16-year old niece seems withdrawn lately and may be depressed. She and I get along well, so it’s something I can talk to her about. Should I? -- Janine W., Plant City, Fla.
A: Definitely yes, by all means, but tread carefully. Don’t tell her how to feel or act, just listen to what she has to say and ask questions. Let her know she’s not “abnormal.”
A recent Pew Research survey found 70 per cent of teenagers saw mental health as a major issue. Bullying, drugs and alcohol came in as distant second, third and fourth, and they often are related. Factors fuelling depression and other mental health issues: pressure on kids to get good grades and to look a certain way.
Sixteen-year-old kids have a lot to deal with these days: 24/7 information overload, not to mention the peaks and valleys of hormonal changes. The good news is that there’s less of a stigma than there used to be about going to a counsellor or psychologist for advice. You could ask her if she’s aware of the counselling services at school and if she ever considered asking or ever has asked a counselor for advice.
If you think you would like more advice on how to talk with her, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800273-8255 (TALK). A 2017 study that looked at the data from 32 children’s hospitals from 2008 to 2015 found that the number of children admitted for thoughts of suicide and self-harm had doubled. You want to help her stay healthy and happy.
Q: I’m really concerned about my mom. She’s in an assisted living facility where they provide all of her meals. She’s only 75 and she’s using an electric wheelchair to get around because she’s become obese. Now her blood pressure is high, too. Is there anything she can do to reverse her increasingly sedentary lifestyle? — Edna F., Tempe, Ariz.
A: The first thing she needs to do is get her blood pressure down. She can do that by adding a little exercise to her daily routine, and medications if her doc advises. She can start with 30 minutes of treadmill walking in the morning, before or after breakfast. A recent study published in the American Heart Association’s journal Hypertension found that older obese men and women who did that and regularly took breaks from prolonged sitting throughout the day reduced their blood pressure.
Many assisted living facilities have some sort of workout area. Arrange for someone to help your mom with a treadmill session every morning. Or, if there’s a pool, 30 minutes of poolwalking might be a safer way to go at first.
It is prolonged sitting that may be your mom’s biggest health enemy. The study we just mentioned got sedentary study participants up every 30 minutes for three minutes. So get her a watch or timer to set. The combination of morning movement and regularly standing will make her feel better almost immediately.