Mental Illness in Films - children and adolsecents

Depression + suicide

Today we are going to study depression and suicide.

People often think of depression as an adult problem, not something that affects children, but children – especially adolescents – commonly suffer from depression. The condition interferes with their ability to perform well in school and develop and maintain relationships and can have lasting repercussions, especially if it goes unnoticed. What’s more, in children and adolescents, depression is often accompanied by behavioral problems, substance abuse, and/or other mental disorders. Unfortunately, in children and adolescents, depression can manifest differently than it does in adults, so parents are not always able to recognize the problem.

Adolescent depression what we all should know 12 638

Let´s start with a short video showing what depression is:

The story of overcoming the "black dog of depression"

(video, 4 min.)

This video demonstrates what life with depression looks like.

Living with depression

(video, 3 min.)

Now, diagnostic criteria for children vary from those we use for adults because disorders tend to show a little differently.

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM–5) Criteria for Major Depression in children and adolescents

5 or more symptoms present during a 2 week period;

(1) depressed or irritable, cranky mood (outside being frustrated) or (2) loss ofinterest or pleasure and any three of the following:

1. Significant weight loss or decrease in appetite (more than 5 percent of body weight in a month or failure to meet expected

weight gains.)

2. Insomnia or hypersomnia

3. Psychomotor agitation or retardation

4. Fatigue or lack of energy

5. Feelings of worthlessness or guilt

6. Decreased concentration or indecisiveness

7. Recurrent thoughts of death or suicide

In addition to the above DSM-5 criteria, children and adolescents may also have some of the following symptoms:

• Persistent sad or irritable mood

• Frequent vague, non-specific physical complaints

• Frequent absences from school or poor performance in school

• Being bored

• Alcohol or substance abuse

• Increased irritability, anger or hostility

• Reckless behavior

Depression

Place to ask for help and provide feedback

So now, you have enough ( maybe even too much, sorry about that) information about the topic and you may start watching our second film! And what is our second film?

It’s Kind Of A Funny Story, is a film, which is based on Ned Vizzini’s semi-autobiographical novel of the same name. The film serves up an unusual look at clinical depression. Craig Gilner is a determined New York teenager, striving for the best in life. So why is he repeatedly envisioning jumping off a bridge in the early hours of Sunday morning?