Awareness of Depression

Parents and insurance companies need to be aware of the signs of depression in children. Depression is a disorder that causes feelings of sadness, hopelessness, fatigue, and insomnia along with countless other symptoms. It can be a physical or mental disorder and in some severe cases, require long-term treatment including psychotherapy and the use of anti-depressant drugs. Dr. Louis Kraus a psychiatrist at Rush University stated that if a child is experiencing trouble and taking medication for it, the best solution is to get them carefully evaluated and make sure the parents are getting them checked again. (Graham 2). However, some insurance companies and parents believe that anti-depressant drugs will do more damage than help their child, plus it costs more to be covered by insurance. The alarming truth is that ninety percent of suicides are due to depression or some other similar disorder (Hochman 2). Yet, given the right diagnosis and care, these victims could be saved. The media rarely reports on these suicides and if stories were told on them, it would clear a lot of misunderstandings about depression and the cause of suicides (Moira Fahr, a journalism instructor at Carleton University).  If there is no recognition of depression and no report on suicides caused from it, it is hard for people to understand that depression is a serious topic that needs to be addressed.