Youth Anxiety and Depression

Youth Anxiety

Most young people today experience anxiety at some point in their life. Sometimes that slight rush of anxiety that occurs prior to an exam or sporting event, can enhance their performance. However, experiencing too much anxiety, over long periods of time, can be extremely damaging to their health and wellbeing. There is a difference between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ anxiety.

Statistics show, that the psychological health of young people today is far worse than it was a generation ago. This is having an adverse effect on children in both primary and secondary levels. Some of their issues of concern include stress, school, study, body image and friendship.

Parents need to be aware of the warning signs of ‘bad’ anxiety. There are preventative measures parents can implement as well as teaching kids the skills to cope more efficiently with their anxiety. We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this edition. If you do have any concerns about the wellbeing of your child, please contact your child’s Head of House, Year 9 Director / Head of Community or Wellbeing Support Service for further information or seek medical or professional help.

Here is the link to the Youth Anxiety edition of SchoolTV:

Special Report

Depression

When kids feel sad, irritable or anxious most of the time, this is not considered a ‘normal’ part of adolescence. Depression may be indicated by uncharacteristic behaviour such as social withdrawal, changes to academic performance, use of drugs or alcohol, or even engaging in risky behaviour. The symptoms and signs are a combination of what a parent can see externally, plus what a child is feeling internally.

Every child can feel sad or down in response to a particular situation. However, these feelings should only last a short time and should not interfere with a child’s day-to-day activities. Should the sadness continue for longer than two weeks, then your child could be at risk of depression. This is more than just sadness, it is a serious health problem with no singular cause. Usually depression is the result of a combination of things.

In this edition of SchoolTV parents will learn how identify the signs of depression and what the effects are on their child’s wellbeing and overall health.

We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this edition of SchoolTV. We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this edition. If you do have any concerns about the wellbeing of your child, please contact your child’s Head of House, Year 9 Director / Head of Community or Wellbeing Support Service for further information or seek medical or professional help.

Here is the link to the Depression edition of SchoolTV:

Special Report