Depression and school
In the few conversations and interactions I've had with some of you, I've realized more and more how awful and heartbreaking is the lack of control adolescents have over their own lives. Even though so many of you are very clear about what you want, what you enjoy, and what you hate; what makes you anxious and angry, and how you feel when that gets shut down.
I'm thinking depression is a critical effect of the lack of control teens have over their lives. The fact that it seems universally acceptable to deny young people the right to some or any control over their lives at a developmental point where they should be practicing making choices and learning from successes and failures in a safer environment than they will have when they leave home -- that seems utterly nonsensical. OK, that was a really long convoluted sentence.
My point is this: frustration and anger at lack of control in school and at home is a reasonable response. Lack of power to change the situation leads to head injury from banging against brick walls. But the brick walls don't move, and it is again a perfectly reasonable response to become depressed.
I'm thinking about fleshing this out in our informational pamphlet to parents. The idea is, perhaps parents who aren't changing their thinking despite conflicts with kids might take something seriously if they think their kids are becoming depressed.
Those of you who like to do research can help me out -- I'm looking for research evidence that ties school-as-usual, the rise in testing and standardization and the increasingly regimental nature of school to mental illness in adolescents.
I'm thinking depression is a critical effect of the lack of control teens have over their lives. The fact that it seems universally acceptable to deny young people the right to some or any control over their lives at a developmental point where they should be practicing making choices and learning from successes and failures in a safer environment than they will have when they leave home -- that seems utterly nonsensical. OK, that was a really long convoluted sentence.
My point is this: frustration and anger at lack of control in school and at home is a reasonable response. Lack of power to change the situation leads to head injury from banging against brick walls. But the brick walls don't move, and it is again a perfectly reasonable response to become depressed.
I'm thinking about fleshing this out in our informational pamphlet to parents. The idea is, perhaps parents who aren't changing their thinking despite conflicts with kids might take something seriously if they think their kids are becoming depressed.
Those of you who like to do research can help me out -- I'm looking for research evidence that ties school-as-usual, the rise in testing and standardization and the increasingly regimental nature of school to mental illness in adolescents.
I suffer from moderate anxiety/depression, and I agree that it stems from a lack of control; I get anxious when I feel myself losing control of a situation, and depression is usually the result, a sort of 'What's the point?' attitude of feeling really low because I've lost control.
Original post by mejohn
In the few conversations and interactions I've had with some of you, I've realized more and more how awful and heartbreaking is the lack of control adolescents have over their own lives. Even though so many of you are very clear about what you want, what you enjoy, and what you hate; what makes you anxious and angry, and how you feel when that gets shut down.
I'm thinking depression is a critical effect of the lack of control teens have over their lives. The fact that it seems universally acceptable to deny young people the right to some or any control over their lives at a developmental point where they should be practicing making choices and learning from successes and failures in a safer environment than they will have when they leave home -- that seems utterly nonsensical. OK, that was a really long convoluted sentence.
My point is this: frustration and anger at lack of control in school and at home is a reasonable response. Lack of power to change the situation leads to head injury from banging against brick walls. But the brick walls don't move, and it is again a perfectly reasonable response to become depressed.
I'm thinking about fleshing this out in our informational pamphlet to parents. The idea is, perhaps parents who aren't changing their thinking despite conflicts with kids might take something seriously if they think their kids are becoming depressed.
Those of you who like to do research can help me out -- I'm looking for research evidence that ties school-as-usual, the rise in testing and standardization and the increasingly regimental nature of school to mental illness in adolescents.
I'm thinking depression is a critical effect of the lack of control teens have over their lives. The fact that it seems universally acceptable to deny young people the right to some or any control over their lives at a developmental point where they should be practicing making choices and learning from successes and failures in a safer environment than they will have when they leave home -- that seems utterly nonsensical. OK, that was a really long convoluted sentence.
My point is this: frustration and anger at lack of control in school and at home is a reasonable response. Lack of power to change the situation leads to head injury from banging against brick walls. But the brick walls don't move, and it is again a perfectly reasonable response to become depressed.
I'm thinking about fleshing this out in our informational pamphlet to parents. The idea is, perhaps parents who aren't changing their thinking despite conflicts with kids might take something seriously if they think their kids are becoming depressed.
Those of you who like to do research can help me out -- I'm looking for research evidence that ties school-as-usual, the rise in testing and standardization and the increasingly regimental nature of school to mental illness in adolescents.
I agree with you a lot here, I know that some Psychology courses study depression, I might be able to get a look at a textbook and stuff
