Mental health crisis?

Mention the word stress, and we all can relate. For me, there’s the stress of trying to make rent each month, homework I can’t seem to ever catch up on, and that constant shoveling of snow that seems to pile up in my driveway. I think yesterday my heart was beating a little faster than normal. Maybe I should just take Prozac. Everyone’s doing it, right?

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According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 118 million antidepressant drugs were prescribed in visits to doctors and hospitals in 2005. This number has tripled since 1994, making it comparable to the treatment of heart disease. Taking a drug does seem like a quick fix to all of those problems we face. And by all means, who wouldn’t want to a take a pill that could magically make you happy?

With the current stress from the economic crisis, PTSD from the war in Iraq, increase in divorce rate, adolescent suicides, and skyrocketing antidepressant sales, our society seems to be in a mental health crisis.

According to the Canadian Press, “Counselors are reporting a rise in the number of clients threatening divorce, while mental health experts warn tough economic times often lead to higher rates of depression and family violence.”

Personally, one of the biggest concerns for me is how these hardships are affecting children and adolescents. The stressors of our society are impacting families in a dynamic way, putting children and teenagers at risk psychologically more than ever before.

Last Friday, there was an article published in the San Francisco Chronicle, titled Economy takes a toll on mental health. Psychotherapist, Susan Regan, said, “I was with this family in a family session and one of the kids turned to the parent and said, ‘Mom, how’s your job going? Are you OK?’ “

Those typical “grown up” anxieties are being passed on to children who are starting to worry about financial situations and the happiness of their families at a much earlier age.

Depression isn’t something that is usually talked about until early adulthood or until a person takes a psychology class in high school. However statistics have shown that children are developing extreme feelings of sadness, worry, and distress at a much earlier age.

Children with parents suffering from depression and anxiety are the biggest worry for me. How are they able to cope with a dad who takes out financial frustrations on his family through abuse, or a mother who neglects her children because she is stressed?

Do we have enough resources available for for those who need help?