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Carson Powell

Professor Hellmers

Eng Composition 2 Sec 1201

November 16, 2020

Literature Review

In the summer going into my freshman year of high school, I was a victim of

overwhelming stress and anxiety. I'm very interested in figuring out ways to help not only

myself, but other students in this class who may have experienced, or currently are experiencing,

these mental health issues, and would benefit from my research. My research question is, in what

ways can we help treat or eliminate anxiety and depression within kids in high school and

college nowadays? And, to go along with that, what causes these mental illnesses?

For years people have struggled with anxiety and depression, but it seems like nowadays

a lot more teenagers are struggling with these mental illnesses more than ever. Stress and

pressure from others are two major causes for these symptoms (Geiger). It appears that other

human beings as well as ourselves are causing us to suffer more than anything, as pressure from

others, and putting stress on ourselves to perform well academically or in activities are also

causes for these symptoms (Morin). There are two main focal points that are continuously

brought up throughout all of these sources. One, being stress and pressure causing these mental

health issues in teens nowadays. The other, being that there is a rapid increase in mental health

issues in teens as the years go on (Feng), especially during the pandemic (Lueneburg).

In 2017, 13% of U.S. teens aged 12 to 17 (or 3.2 million), said they had experienced at

least one major depressive episode in the past year up from 8% (or 2 million) in 2007 (Geiger).

On July 24, 2019, China Youth Daily, the most influential newspaper among young people in
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China, launched an online survey to answer the following question: "The incidence of depression

among college students is increasing year by year. Do you think you are prone to depression?" In

5 days, approximately 312,000 people (age was not specified) responded, of whom 60.6%

thought they were slightly depressed, 27.6% thought they were seriously depressed, 2.8% did not

care to answer the emotional questions, and 9% did not think they were depressed (Feng). This

shows an immediate problem that needs to be solved, not only in America, but all over the world.

Although we unfortunately have to combat ways to treat these symptoms, luckily there

are ways we can do just that. Warning signs that you may be suffering from a mental illness

include changes in sleep habits, loss of interest in usual activities, major changes in academic

performance, weight or appetite changes, extreme moodiness, and increased isolation (Morin).

Counselling is one of the best treatments for anxiety and depression. Overall, getting things off

your mind is a huge relief. Talking to trusted friends, family, coaches, teachers, counsellors, etc.

is a great way to treat your mental illnesses (Morin).

Not everyone experiences stress and anxiety in terms of a severe level. However, those

that do should know how to seek help. Is talking to a trusted individual or loved one about your

problems the real cure? Is there medical treatment that can really make you feel better? There is

plenty of valid and credible information for proof that the number of teens with these issues is

rapidly increasing, that there are ways to treat these issues, and why we experience these issues.
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Works Cited

Feng, Bing, et al. "Change in the level of depression among Chinese college students from 2000

to 2017: A cross-temporal meta-analysis." ​Social Behavior and Personality: An

International Journal​, vol. 48, no. 2, 2020, p. 1g+. ​Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints,​

https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A615363656/OVIC?u=dayt30401&sid=OVIC&xid=79c78b

28. Accessed 16 Nov. 2020.

Geiger, A.W. “A growing number of American teenagers – particularly girls – are facing

depression.” ​Pew Research Center​, Leslie Davis, 16 July 2019,

https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/07/12/a-growing-number-of-american-teena

gers-particularly-girls-are-facing-depression/. Accessed 16 November 2020.

Lueneburg, Chris. “Healthy Living: Anxiety in Children 'Skyrockets' amid Pandemic.” ​KEZI

News,​ 11 November 2020,

https://www.kezi.com/content/news/Healthy-Living-Keeping-an-eye-on-mental-health-w

ith-pandemic-stress-572980281.html. Accessed 16 November 2020.

Morin, Amy. “What to Do If You Suspect Your Teen Has a Mental Illness.” ​Verywell Mind,​ 11

April 2019,

www.verywellmind.com/what-to-do-if-you-think-teen-has-a-mental-illness-4109573.

Accessed 16 November 2020.

Novotney, Amy. “Better Ways to Combat Anxiety in Youth.” ​Better Ways to Combat Anxiety in

Youth,​ 1 November 2019, https://www.apa.org/monitor/2019/12/combat-anxiety.

Accessed 16 November 2020.