Name: Kevon Shakespeare

School: Vere Technical High

Centre #: 100125
Registration #:
Teacher: Miss Halstead

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 Acknowledgement
Firstly, I wish to thank God, my parents and the
respondents for their assistance. I would also like to thank
my teacher, Mrs. Halsted, without whose guidance and
support this would not have been a success.

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 Statement of
Problem
The causes, effects and possible solutions of depression on teenagers of the

community of Mineral Heights.

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 Purpose of Research
The purpose of this study on teenage Depression is to investigation and explains

the effects of Teenage Depression in the vibrant community of Claremont Heights. After

the completion of this research the researcher will recommended a few aims to

accomplish this problem.

The researcher would like to impart knowledge to young individuals who believes

to be depressed. Also, to let them beware of the effects it can put on their lives.

Depression is like a force to young individuals which drives them to do harmful

things.

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 Research Questions
1. What are the causes Depression?

2. How does depression affect persons at Mineral Heights?

3. How do depressed persons relate to their work relationships and personal

development?

4. How does depression affect the decision-making process?

5. To what extent do adolescence hormonal/emotional changes contribute the depression

in their teen years?

6. What are the effects of teenage depression and how do depressed persons cope with

these changes?

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 Introduction
Depression is defined by the website, Medicine.com as an illness that involves the

body, mood, and thoughts that affects the way a person eats and sleeps, the way one feels

about oneself, and the way one thinks about things. A depressive disorder is not the same

as a passing blue mood.

Over the years its been shown and proven that teen depression has been a serious

worldwide issue. Causing the teenagers from our society to serious problems such as

hurting themselves (suicide) and others because of issues such as, school, family

problems, relationships, etc. In this generation Teen Depression is considered a hot

topic. Recently a study found that About five percent of teenagers have major

depression at any one time. Depression can be very impairing, not only for the affected

teen, but also for his or her family-and too often, if not addressed, depression can lead to

substance abuse or more tragic events (NAMI.org). Teen depression hasnt only been

around now, its been around for a really long time and honestly, it will take a lot for it to

stop. The environment that teenagers grow up today is less caring and a lot more

demanding than it was 20 years ago from now. Not only are the numbers of depressed

teenagers increasing, but the age is decreasing, younger children are starting to face this

issue. Studies have found out that There are an estimated 1.5-3 million American

children and adolescents who suffer from depression, a condition unrecognized in

children until about 20 years ago. The reason why teen depression is increasing this

much is because of the social factors that these teenagers have to face everyday. Gender
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also plays an important role on teen depression such as the pressure on girls to appear and

act a certain way. Pressure is also reaching high statistics with boys. Boys are faced with

pressure to hide their feeling and act tough and/or manly. Pressure has been building up

on both genders what with school work and succeeding at it. Teen depression is a

growing problem that hasnt been addressed enough, its an issue that needs to be dealt

with and taken more seriously.

Teenage depression is a growing problem in todays society and is often a major

contributing factor for most adolescent problems. The statistics about teenage runaways,

alcoholism, drug problems, pregnancy, eating disorders, and suicide are alarming. The

common link to all of these crises is often depression. The path into adolescence is a

difficult one, and the choices a teen makes can leave lasting scars on the lives of an entire

generation of young men and women. There is a growing realization that teenage

depression can be life changing, even life- threatening. Depression can be described in

many ways. Its main description is that it is a serious mental disorder in which a person

suffers long periods of sadness, loneliness, and other negative feelings. Medications

where no longer the cure for Teenage Depression.

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 Definition of Key
terms
Words Definition
Depression An illness that involves the body, mood,
and thoughts, that affects the way a person
eats and sleeps, the way one feels about
oneself, and the way one thinks about
things.

Serotonin A hormone, also called 5-

hydroxytryptamine, in the pineal gland,
blood platelets, the digestive tract, and the
brain. Serotonin acts both as a chemical
messenger that transmits nerve signals
between nerve cells and that causes blood
Viral infection vessels to narrow.

Infection caused by the presence of a virus

in the body. Depending on the virus and the
person's state of health, various viruses can
infect almost any type of body tissue, from
the brain to the skin.
Electro Convulsive Therapy
(ECT), also known as electroshock, is a
well-established, albeit controversial,
psychiatric treatment in which seizures are
electrically induced in anesthetized patients
for therapeutic effect.
SSRI fluoxide
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor,
family of antidepressant drugs which
includes Prozac and act to increase levels of
Antidepressants serotonin in the brain.

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 It is used to relieve the symptoms of
Hypothyroidism depressive illness.

Hypothyroidism is a condition
characterized by abnormally low thyroid
Teenagers hormone production.

A person between the ages of 13 and 19

Stress inclusive.

Forces from the outside world impinging

on the individual. Stress is a normal part of
life that can help us learn and grow.
Conversely, stress can cause us significant
problems.

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 Education Value
Teenage Depression can be defined as a serious condition that affects many young adults.

This research highlights the causes and effects of teenage depression. It can also educate

the wider society on the signs and symptoms of this depression so affected persons can be

helped and assisted to go through these changes and how to cope with it. The available

solutions would help to prevent depression in teenagers or help them to get over their

depression.

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 Literature Review
According to the A-Z Family Medical Encyclopedia, by Dr. Michael Peters,

depression is the feelings of sadness, hopelessness and a loss of interest in life, combined

with a sense of reduced emotional well-being. Most people experience these feelings

occasionally, usually as a normal response to an upsetting event. It is natural to fee

depressed when a close relative or friend dies during which a persons behaviour and

physical state are also affected. This however, is an indication of depressive illness.

Depression that occurs without any immediate cause, which deepens and persists,

may occur as part of a variety of depression illnesses. These are conditions characterized

by episodes of depression alternating with mania, which is a period of overly exhibitable

mood or uncontrolled behaviour. Depression in teens can be very different from

depression in adults. Some symptoms of depression are more common in teenagers than

in their adult counterpart.

Symptoms of depression vary with the severity of the condition. In a person

suffering from mild depression, the main symptoms are usually anxiety and variable

mood; the person may also have a fits of crying that occur for no apparent reason. More

severe depression may cause loss of appetite, difficulty sleeping, tiredness, loss of interest

social activities, and impaired concentration. Movement and thing also usually become

slower; alternatively, the opposite may also occur with the person becoming extremely

anxious. Severely depressed people may thoughts of committing suicide and having

feelings of hopelessness. Signs of depression include: not doing things that were
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once enjoyable, feeling tired all the time, sleeping too much or not enough, eating little or

no food and feeling sad, fretful and hopeless.

The cause of teen depression does not arise from a single origin or event. There is

no single obvious cause of depression and a combination of different factors may be

involved. Depressions may be triggered by physical illnesses such as a viral infection, by

hormonal disorders such as hypothyroidism, or by the hormonal changes that occur

following childbirth. Certain drugs, such as oral contraceptives, may also contribute the

condition.

Scientists and researches have found out that depression is caused by an uneven

balance of chemicals in the brain. It is said that not having enough of the chemical called

serotonin may play a role in depression.

The negative effects of teenage depression go far beyond a melancholy mood.

Many rebellious and healthy behaviours or attitudes in the teenagers are actually

indication of depression. Untreated depression can lead to: low self-esteem, problems at

school, running away, substance abuse or commit suicide.

Depression is the most common serious psychiatric illness. According to

Medicinenet. Com, The world health organization ranks depression as number four in

the ten leading causes of death worldwide. It is particularly common in people over fifty

and appears to more common in women: twice as many women than men week help for

the condition. This difference may result from the fact that women tend to seek help for

their problems while men tend to express their problems in alcohol abuse and violence.

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 Depression is an illness that can be treated with medication just like any other

illness such as high blood pressure or diabetes. Only a doctor can properly diagnose and

decide what is appropriate for a person suffering from depression. The most common

treatments are antidepressant medicines, psychotherapy, the patient and the therapist

discuss the patients feelings and experiences to try to work out the difficult areas. There

are three main forms of treatment for depression, depending on the type and severity of

the illness. Medication is commonly used to treat teenage depression, though their long

term effects are not well studied. The most common type of medication prescribed for

teens is the SSRI fluoxide, commonly know as Prozac. Antidepressant drugs however do

have some effects some side effects sometimes including suicidal behaiour, so it is

important for friends and family members to watch for the warning signs of suicide in

teen taking antidepressants. These signs include talking about their death or committing

suicide as well as giving away personal possessions.

Additionally, electro convulsive therapy (ECT) may also be utilized as a treatment

for depression. This method is infrequently used but is still considered to be an effective

treatment for people suffering from life- threatening depression. ECT may be life saving,

but it can cause mild temporary memory impairment.

One important thing that family members and friends can do for those who suffer

from depression is to help them get the right treatment and to encourage them to continue

taking their medication until they feel better. Families can offer emotional support by

showing them love and using kind words, help them to keep active and busy, not to

criticize or blame them for their behaviour and also to be patient and not expect

immediate result.

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 Data Collection

Sources
The researcher chooses various types of data collection methods so as to obtain

quality and adequate data which will make the research credible in the information it

gathered.

The researcher uses both primary and secondary sources in order to complete this

research successfully.

The primary source which is a questionnaire can be seen as the easiest way to

collect data, whilst it is less expensive and is time consuming.

The secondary sources which the research utilizes are the internet, books and news

paper articles. All these sources provide valuable existing information that can be

seen as reliable for the researcher to use to complete this Internal Assessment (IA).

A total of 55 questionnaires were prepared and distributed to residents in the

community. This questionnaire consisted of both open and close-ended questions. After

they were completed we got only 30 of them back.

I decided to choose the households where children lived. Reason been I want to

get a feedback on their views on Teenage Depression. The numbers of those houses in the

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community were written each on a slip of paper. Each slip of paper was folded and placed

into a bag. The bag was closed and shaken vigorously to ensure a thorough mixture of the

numbers.

Presentation of Data

Graph Showing the Ages of the Responents

45%
40%
35%
30%
25%
15-20 21-30 31-40 41 and over
% of respondents 20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
15-20 21-30 31-40 41 and over

Ages

Fig 1: Column Chart

Cylinder Chart Showing the age group of these respondents who participate in this study.

40% of the residents are between the ages 15-20 years old, while 25% are between ages

21-30 years. Also, 15% of them are between 31-40 years old and the remaining 10% are

over 41 years of age.

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 Pie Chart SHOWING the Gender of Respondents

20%
Female Male

80%

Fig 2: Pie Chart

The Pie Chart above shows the gender of the respondents which indicates that 80% of

them are females and 20% are males.

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Chart Showing Persons Affected by Teenage Depression

10%
Affected
Not affected

90%

Fig 3: Pie Chart

The Pie Chart shows response to question three (3) have teenage Depression affected the

residents of Mineral Heights of which 90% says that it does affects them while 10% says

it does not affects them.

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 Graph Showing Causes of Depression

Other

Other
Through death

Causes Fatigue
Fatigue
fatherlessness

fatherlessness

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Percentages

Fig 4: Cone Chart

Cone Chart shows a response to question four (4) what causes Teenage Depression? Of

which 40% says that the absence of father in their lives is the major cause of Teenage

Depression and also 25% selected that the feeling of been fatigued or due to lack of

energy while 20% stated that thought of death is the cause for Teenage Depression. While

15% selection other options.

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 Graph Showing the Signs and Symptoms of Depression
40%
35%
30%
25%
20% Withdrawal
Percentages
15%
10%
5%
0%
Sadness Anger No interest Withdrawal

Signs

Fig 5: Line-Column Chart

The Line-Column Chart above represents the signs and symptoms of depression of

which majority of them 35% indicated that they had no interest anymore while 30%

indicates the feeling of sadness, 20% stated anger and the remaining 15% stated that they

had withdraw from family and friends.

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 Treatments that was used to treat
depression

Options Percentage
Medication 33%
Counseling 60%
Other 7%
Table 1:

The table above stated that 60% of the respondents stated that Counseling was the

treatment used to treat affected persons while 33% stated Medication and the remaining

7% selected other options

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 Graph Showing Respondents Whose Adolescent Decision-making was Affected
100%

80%

60%
Other Suicidal Dishonest Moodiness
% of Respondents
40%

20%

0%
MoodinessDishonest Suicidal Other

Affected Decision-making

Fig 6: Column Chart

The Column Chart shows that adolescent decision-making is affected by them becoming

moody was selected by 40% of the respondents while 25% selected dishonesty, 8%

mentioned of suicidal act and 27% selected other selections.

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 Pie Chart Showing Persons Wanting to Commit Suicide

15%

Yes No

85%

Fig 8: Pie Explosion Chart

The Pie Explosion Chart above indicates persons wanting to commit suicide, while

85% of them reached the stage of wanting to commit suicide while 15% stated no.

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 Chart Title

Aware; 20%

Not aware; 80%

Fig 10: Blue Pie Chart

The Pie Chart shows above represent question 14 which stated that if they are depressed

eventually they are diagnosed with manic depressive illness which 80% stated that they

where not aware of that while 20% said they where aware.

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 Interpretation of
Findings
The main objective of the researcher was to solve the hypothesis, Teenage Depression

has a negative Impact on the Citizens of the Mineral Heights.

Question 1 shows answers to the question To what age group do you belong?

Fifty percent (50%) of the respondents who belong to the age grouping 15-20, Twenty-

five percent (25%) in the group 21-30, fifteen (15%) in the group 31-40 and ten percent

(10%) was 41 and over.

Question 2 shows the sex of respondents, Eighty percent (80%) of the respondents

to which the questionnaires were distributed were females, while the remaining Twenty

percent (20%) were males. It can be seen that Depression is becoming nowadays a major

cause of disability in women. It is difficult for parents to see their children in depression.

In depression, it is common for girls to become moody, edgy, and anxious just before and

during menstruation, and maybe even longer, if she suffers from hormonal problems.

According to the Pie Chart when asked whether they has been affected by teenage

depression, Ninety percent (90%) of the respondents responded yes, while ten percent

(10%) stated no. They were depressed because they feel different are find them selfs

doing weird things that they never normally never use to do, thats when they knew they

were depressed.

In accordance to question 4 a majority of Forty percent 40% percent of the

respondents indicated that the absence of fathers in their lives as it related to the question

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What were the causes of depression? Thirty percent (25%) stated that feeling of been

fatigued or due to lack of energy. Twenty-five percent (20%) thought of death while ten

percent (15%) stated other suggestions. How did they know they were depressed?

Teens may drop out from clubs, sports and other activity they normally used to enjoy.

When they are in depression, they seem it is not funny.

Question 6 Quoted, counseling stated by sixty percent (60%) deals with practical

problems to more structured approaches such as cognitive behaviours while thirty-three

percent (33%) selected medications, and these include sleeping pills to regain energy.

Counseling is very effective and helpful, because they might not even be aware of the

problem or condition there are suffering from. Student counselors often explain and build

awareness among teens regarding the various problems they could be facing or could

encounter and how to combat the same.

Also, person who are depressed eventually they are diagnosed with manic

depressive illness which 80% stated that they where not aware of that while 20% said

they where aware. The term manic depressive illness is a psychiatric diagnosis that

describes a category of mood disorders defined by the presence of one or more episodes

of abnormally elevated energy levels, cognition, and mood.

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 Discussion of
Findings
While gathering information the researcher found out that:

In the community of Mineral Heights, that ninety percent (90%) of the citizens is

affected by teenage depression. It was also found out that major causes of teenage

depression in the vicinity were absence of father figures as well as fatigue. Also stated in

the literature review by Dr. Michael Peters in the family A-Z Encyclopedia that

depression may also be related to the number of disturbing changes or events in a

persons life, such as when a close relative or friends dies.

It was stated by the majority of persons in the vicinity that they were not aware of

the fact that patients suffering from depression are eventually diagnosed as having manic

depressive illness. This was also stated by Dr. Peters that this is a condition characterized

by episodes of depression alternating with mania, which is a period of overly excitable

mod and uncontrolled behaviour.

It was stated that counseling is the most effective method used for treating

depression. COUNSELING, or psychotherapy, means talking about feelings with a

trained psychologist who can help you change the relationships, thoughts, or behaviors

that are causing the depression. Think about it, you feel depressed because you think your

life is bad. What if you're wrong? What if you're missing all the good things around you?

What if your future holds a lot more promise than you think? When you're depressed,

you're in a rut, and you can't see anything good.

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 Conclusion
In conclusion, the researcher believes that although teenagers are an easy target

for depression, the remaining teenagers who are healthy experience a better lifestyle than

those who arent. The percentage of teenagers who arent depressed is because of absence

of fathers in their lives, fatigued or due to lack of energy and thought of death. In my

opinion, Teen depression is something that has grown severely in this generation but I

feel like its something that can be dealt with and can be fixed; But thats if people start

taking it more seriously and giving it more importance, But on the other hand, I feel as if

every teenager has to go through teen depression in order to experience how it is on the

real world and face reality; to know that life isnt always going to be all about joy and

happiness, its going to have its rough moments & youre going to need to learn how to

overcome those issues one way or another.

Everyone goes through it at some point of their lives. It can be considered a

phase. Teen Depression is an issue all around the world, but yet; it can be fixed.

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 Limitations of the
Research
During the completion of this assignment I encountered a number of problems which

cause hindrance to this Internal Assessment.

Some of the problems I encountered are:

Due to the late start of my Internal Assessment I had less time to compile enough

information on Teenage Depression.

I had problems with the computer System which keeps switching off when I on log

on.

Insufficient information on certain aspects of depression.

Limited amount of questionnaires were returned, therefore findings cannot be

generalized.

Lack of finance to purchase Inks, folder and necessary equipment to complete this

project.

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 Recommendations
In order to solve this problem the researcher has recommended a few points:

Invite social workers from a counseling team to come and talk to these depressed

individuals and let them know what is the main cause and what they can do in

regaining their normal lifes.

The parents of these affected teens should interact with them more in order for them

to feel loved by them and they should take them out on field trips, teach them new

things so that their minds would be occupied with something constructive.

Teens should be encouraged to attend counseling sessions conducted at also so that

they are in a better position to assess their own problems.

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 Bibliography
www.Google .com

www.Yahoo .com

www.Medicinenet .com

Dr. Michael Peters -A-Z Family Medical Encyclopedia.

Gerald D. Oster- Teenage Depression, in the Teen Help Magazine.

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 Instrument used to
Collect Data

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 In order to acquire both qualitative and quantitative information for the Internal

Assessment being done the researcher used both questionnaire and published literature as

the methods of this investigation. The questionnaire is a set of questions that can be open-

ended or closed-ended questions or a mixture of both that is used to gather information. It

consists of 30 close ended questions and 25 open ended questions.

In additional, instructions were addresses to the respondents in answering the

questions. In case persons where not at home the questionnaires were placed in their mail

box or gate with a letter stating what it was about and when completer it should be

returned to the researchers mail box.

The questionnaire was used because it was first handed, primary base,

information. However the published literature was used as the secondary source of

information that is factual and holds value.

Residents
Questionnaire
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Most of the questions can be answered with a tick in the box like this or by
writing on the line provided.

1. To what age group do you belong?

15-20 age group [ ]

21-30 age group [ ]
31-40 age group [ ]
41 and over [ ]

2. What gender are you?

Male [ ]
Female [ ]

3. Have you ever been affected by teenage depression?

Yes [ ]
No [ ]

4. What were the causes of depression?

Fatigue or lack of energy [ ]

Absence of Father [ ]
Thought of death [ ]
Other [ ]

5. How did you know you were depressed?

Experienced sadness or loneliness [ ]

Became irritable or angry easily [ ]
Experienced a lack of interest in social activities [ ]
Withdrawal from family members and friends [ ]

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6. Which treatment was used to treat your depression?

Medication [ ]
Counseling [ ]
Other [ ]

7. Would you agree that depression affect adolescent decision-making?

Extreme moodiness [ ]
Dishonesty [ ]
Mention of suicidal act [ ]
Other [ ]

8. Would you agree that teenage depression is caused by them undergoing too much
street?
Strongly agree [ ]
Agree [ ]
Disagree [ ]

9. Do you think parents or other family members contribute to the cause of depression?
Yes [ ]
No [ ]

10. Have you ever reached the stage of wanting to suicide?

Yes [ ]
No [ ]

11. How often do depressed individuals visit a doctor after being diagnosed with the
condition?
Yes [ ]
No [ ]
12. How affordable are the treatments prescribed for depressed individuals?
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 Very affordable [ ]
Just affordable [ ]
Barely affordable [ ]

13. Which is least expensive?

14. Are you aware that most people who suffer from depression are eventually diagnosed
with manic-depressive illness?
Yes, I am aware [ ]
No, I was not aware [ ]

15. What happens to the patients after treatment starts?

Their energy level increase [ ]
They create new bonds with peers [ ]
They begin to express their feelings better [ ]
They become more interested in there work [ ]
Other [ ]

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