Screening's Negative Effects On Children

In today’s society depression in schooling has increasingly gotten worse. Over the years more children have been diagnosed with depression and other problems throughout the schools.While some people believe screening impacts children negatively, others see it as a strategic way to diagnose children. Therefore screening for depression has a positive impact on resolving problems with depression. Screenings are beneficial, while if not treated for depression quickly it could lead to the depression becoming worse than it started off as.Screenings are a beneficial way to help detect depression at any point in time to help seek attention, to help with the problems the individual maintains mentally. Early detection of depression through
Since these children have received screenings at an early stage, they were able to be treated quicker and were more open with things going on in their lives. The Kalafat states in their article “Youth Suicide Programs.” “Since we started routine screening in our practice, conversations with patients about emotional concerns have become more normalized. Clinicians have become more facile at accurately identifying and managing depression, and at helping teens and their families through normal ups and downs.(Kalafat pg 2)” The screenings have made the teens more open to what affects their everyday lives . The teens have also been able to have concerns they have brought to normal state that is equal to that of a normal teen. Screening has shown these teens that though they have depression they can be treated and helped by just opening up to loved ones around them. Some fear being treated and often take longer to open up but overall the teens express themselves to teachers and loved ones in order to feel safer. King and Vidourek state,
“Schools are encouraged to adopt a comprehensive depression/suicide prevention/intervention program which includes three components: 1) Primary prevention, including education, skill building, and protective factor promotion; 2) Secondary prevention, including early detection of warning signs and appropriate intervention; and 3) Tertiary prevention, including postvention
The first step in this three part program is to get the school and some teachers involved with helping the student who suffers depression achieve their goals just like a “normal” teen would. The second step is setting up a screening to confirm whether or not the teen truly suffers from depression or suffers from something else, or even nothing at all . The final step is to essentially follow the teens depression, in other words see if anything triggers their depression and if there is something that triggers it how to prevent it. The follow up is just to make sure that their treatment is working and will be able to assist the teen. Teachers and counselors , as well as parents , are the best people to talk to if diagnosed with depression. King & Vidourek also state, “In addition, teachers and parents should be encouraged to maintain open dialogue with their teens which can assist in early detection and subsequently early treatment. Adults and volunteers working with teens should use authoritative skills, offer support, be attentive and caring, set and enforce limits, and help teens to establish and achieve career/lifetime goals.” ( King & Vidourek pg. 18) Any adult influences in the teens life should be encouraged to talk openly to the children if they show any signs of depression.