Half of US Teens Meet Criteria for Mental Disorder

[Sunstone]

According to a study released October 2010, half of US teens meet the criteria for being diagnosed with one or another mental disorder. And in about a fifth of teens, the disorder was so severe it impaired daily activities.

What do you make of this? Why?

 

[Madhuri]

This seems like a sensitive subject for me to comment on too thoroughly.
Just to keep it simple, I think your sig quote is really appropriate:
"It is no virtue to be well adjusted to a sick society."

There's something in the culture in America that seems to make the people go to extremes. It is an extremely individualistic society, many of the people are very self-centred and self-indulgent, there is a huge consumer culture, immense emphasis on the superficial, an obsession with labels and identity and a lack of knowledge concerning the wider world. It doesn't come as a surprise that there are some serious social issues.

But also, I get the impression that 'professionals' in the US are far too eager to label people with psychological problems and dispense medications.

 

[LuisDantas]

Interesting wording. "Meeting the criteria" as opposed to actually being diagnosed with mental disorders suggests that this is a non-commited analysis, but this is still interesting to know.

On the one hand, I believe that many disorders, particularly Attention Deficit Disorder, are way overdiagnosed. That doesn't mean that there aren't undiagnosed or undertreated disorders, however.

I'm not surprised that a large proportion of teens has significant behavior impairment. The changes in society in the last few decades make that almost inevitable, since there are so many more decisions to take and so little adequate support from the previous generations. Significantly, it seems to me that most teenagers are under considerable social pressure to spend far more than previous generations, yet at the same time also at a loss to sustain that expense. They are also far more aware of their emotional situation and urges than previous situations, yet still limited by the lack of proper feedback with their parents and elders. In context, it is not surprising that drug abuse has become so banalized.

The bottom line IMO is that we are at a cultural moment where consumism and lack of proper dialog have become destructive forces that put a severe strain at families themselves. In order for people to keep functional, serious effort will have to be put into questioning "inherited" social values and goals and improving communication and acceptance.

 

[Madhuri]

Great response, Luis. But everything you said seems to apply to most nations. Is there as much psychological problems everywhere? Or is the US particularly troubled?

 

[LuisDantas]

Great response, Luis. But everything you said seems to apply to most nations. Is there as much psychological problems everywhere? Or is the US particularly troubled?

Thanks. Every nation has its own particularities. A rather obvious example is that very few countries are plagued by obesity problems to anywhere near the degree they do exist in the USA. It seems clear to me that such problems are largely behavioral and sociological in nature.

I won't say that other countries are necessarily more healthy in a mental sense. It is hard to even compare objectively. I will definitely say that the nature and degree of emotional trouble do vary a lot among communities.

Perhaps ironically, psychological problems are comparatively rare in otherwise troubled people. It is my experience that roughly speaking economic miserable people are usually well-resolved, while rich people often are not. Brazil, specifically, is a country where most economically active people spend a lot of effort trying real hard to lie to themselves about their own acquisition power, to the point that many teenagers seem to have genuinely failed to understand why people attempt to earn money. Nor is that a teenager exclusivity; many if not most marriages end up failing after some years, yet they keep going out of economic convenience alone - which of course leads to some very unhealthy emotional environments for the teenagers caught in between.

As a rule, I would say that generally speaking the troubles are more serious in cultures that have looser, less defined and less warm social rules. Often enough there is a strong desire to emphasize the upsides of that freedom to choose "new rules", but the fact remains that many people simply fail to deal with their own freedom, and end up going through considerable trouble and risk just to find ways of avoiding the perception of their own responsibilities.

Ultimately, I believe that all the true solutions involve serious emphasis on better planning of families and cultures, with bigger, less nuclear families and an overall effort to have less children with more present families. I hope for and look forward to a world where most people have just one child, if that much, but children have a wide choice of role models and adult conversation partners.

 

[Penumbra]

According to a study released October 2010, half of US teens meet the criteria for being diagnosed with one or another mental disorder. And in about a fifth of teens, the disorder was so severe it impaired daily activities.

What do you make of this? Why?

I'm not surprised. I'm not a psychologist so I can only guess as to what the causes could be. I had a mood disorder all through my teenage years as well.

-Mental illness is becoming more studied, more known, and less taboo. More common diagnosis of mental disorders is likely due to the fact that in earlier generations, these things often went undiagnosed. When I read about historical figures, of read how people thought other people were infected by demons, it seems mental illness has always been there. Maybe not quite to the current extent, but still substantially.

-Society is changing faster than instincts. The world changes a lot in the time of a single generation. Several thousand years ago, our species was still hunter-gatherer or agriculturally based. We likely still have a lot of instincts that would have been useful in those times. So things like male aggression or need for constant activity and stimulation, which may have been more useful back then, are out of place today when they have to sit in a classroom for 8 hours a day. And for girls, they've got mirrors and magazines everywhere showing them what they do look like and what the media thinks is attractive. Girls thousands or even hundreds of years ago wouldn't have access to a mirror wherever they go or pictures of women everywhere.

-Teenagers are particularly vulnerable to issues because they are mature enough to be aware of problems they face and problems of the world, and to have substantial responsibility, but often not mature enough to have developed tools to deal with those problems effectively. Younger kids are ignorant of a lot of things and have little responsibility, and older people generally have developed coping mechanisms for things.

 

[Reverend Rick]

I believe life has put many more demands on our available time. Children are the ones reaping the consequences.

My advice for families would be to turn off the computer, TV, phones and other distractions for one hour a day and sit down at the table and eat dinner together several times a week.

This is not always an option however. I found that riding in a car with teens and having a conversation was beneficial as well.

 

[DallasApple]

All I know is these days if someone (adults or teenagers ,grade schoolers and even toddlers) claims they dont have some sort of diagnosis..or budding mental/ phsychological disorder then I wonder whats wrong with them.

ADD,ADHD,OCD,Generalized Depression, Seasonal Depression,Severe Depression.PTSD,Bi/Polar Type 1,BI Polar Type 2 ,Generalized Anxiety Disorder,Addictive Personality Disorder,Aspergers,Borderline Personality Disorder,Narcissitic Personality Disorder,Anti Social,Socio Path,Clauster Phobia,Agoraphobia,....(phobia in general)


Thats why I let my grandbaby run in the yard naked and eat worms.Im hoping that way he will know he fits in with the rest of us.

Love

Dallas

 

[bhaktajan]

Read:

"Twinkie De-Constructed" Steve Ettlinger

Google it ---IMO, the "Syndrome" in question, is a straight forward equation of cause and effect.

 

[Klaufi_Wodensson]

It explains the behaviour of nearly every girl in the city of Venice, Florida.

 

[DallasApple]

Read:

"Twinkie De-Constructed" Steve Ettlinger

Google it ---IMO, the "Syndrome" in question, is a straight forward equation of cause and effect.

I'll look it up..

I just new there was a problem when I believe its one in 5(maybe one in 6 please excuse) BOYS are diagnosed with ADD or ADHD during their school years and put on drugs.

When all three of my boys it was suggested one after the other they were "ADD" I knew something wasnt right with that.

I was "diagnosed' with bi-polar when I was 15.I do NOT believe I was ever "bi-polar".I was a messed up teenager..living in a sort of chaotic dysfunctional family..along with the regular teenage stuff..and pressures..and ended up getting pregnant when I was 14..and did get very depressed.I in retrospect feel like suing that doctor.I took that label and carried on for years believing I had that.It was "easy' for my parents to just say "she has this"..and stick major pshychiatric drugs in my body.Lithium was the first.

We do have genetically a prediposition for phychiatric problems mainly depression.(the kind that can debilitate you)(or so Im told)..but enviroment and life habits Im convinced are the trigger for most of the onset..Then self medicating..causing much further issues.Along with the MEDICATIONS they throw at you like darts and hand out like candy?Some of those I think mess you up and possilby cause permanent damage.

People are over diagnosed.And medicated with the drugs with side affects that can be debiltaing in and of themselves..and its all a guessing game anyway.

Sorry for the rant..Sensitive subject for me.

Love

Dallas

 

[Father Heathen]

According to a study released October 2010, half of US teens meet the criteria for being diagnosed with one or another mental disorder. And in about a fifth of teens, the disorder was so severe it impaired daily activities.

What do you make of this? Why?

I think our society's ***-backwards perceptions and priorities (such as shallow materialism as but one of countless examples) aren't good for a person's psychological health.

 

[kai]

It seems to me that these days people are putting medical labels on kids and teenagers and offering medication for things that were once seen as just part of growing up.

I am sure if i was a kid now i would have one of those ddhd,uffh,prdf,lol, labels .

adolescence is a weird time but isnt it just a natural thing? does it have to be assessed and a pill produced for it?

another thing! i know people with kids that are diagnosed for this and that , and in my opinion they are just plain naughty kids,and i ought to know i was one ha ha

 

[DallasApple]

Oh and P.S..I dont mean to say that these conditions do not exist..and maybe its true its just more now that we can identify them.

But I just can not believe THAT many have conditions that have nothing to do with lifelstyle or enviromental factors.ETA) or that its just thier personality!!!(as Kai said above..part of growing)

Like sticking all these little boys on ADD medications to get them to shut and sit down and be quiet..

How in the world did they learn and become successful even say 30 years ago ?What about 50 years ago?

Whats the deal?

When 9 year olds are being diagnosed with bi-polar?

I dont beleive it.

Love

Dallas

 

[LuisDantas]

Quality of food? I can see that having lots of effects, but widespread mental disorder? I doubt the FDA is quite that incompetent, myself. Or maybe you are talking about diets that revolve mainly about junk food, I don't know.

Edited to add: Kai, Dallas, I agree completely. It often looks like people actually believe that behavior is dictated entirely by chemical factors, with no participation of environment and interactions. And that I find real hard to believe, and more than a little worrisome in its popularity.

 

[bhaktajan]

A more advance coverage would be addressed in the Study of pH-balance in the Body's Internal Chemistry.

The body's pH is regulated by the organs (kidneys, liver, pancreas, lymphs, Lungs, Skin, Intestines) that purify/nuetralise the blood stream's pH (acid-to-Alkaline Ratio).

Denuded foods allows for in-effectual functioning of those organs.

Those organs require there own 24/7 storehouse of basic Vitamins & Minerals (those Not made in China) ---the Vit & Mins are the catalysts that "Neutralise Acid pH Readings" ---and then, and ONLY then, are excreted from the body.

Q. What happens when it's (Acidic-Toxic-Waste) not excreted?
A. It gets wrapped in fat and stored far away from the vital organ.

The point is the vicious cycle that is initiated by mafia* food distributors.

*Not the old fashion Mafia, but a new hybred conglomerate.

 

[DallasApple]

It seems to me that these days people are putting medical labels on kids and teenagers and offering medication for things that were once seen as just part of growing up.

I am sure if i was a kid now i would have one of those ddhd,uffh,prdf,lol, labels .

adolescence is a weird time but isnt it just a natural thing? does it have to be assessed and a pill produced for it?

another thing! i know people with kids that are diagnosed for this and that , and in my opinion they are just plain naughty kids,and i ought to know i was one ha ha

My grandbaby is 2 and 1/2 Kai..My DIL is already uttering the words "maybe he is ADD"..Im sorry I am not saying do as I say not as I did..but I AM..I wanted to slap her!

He's not even 3..and he spends MANY hours with a t>V blaring..and not enough outside time..and just quiet one on one time with them.

Not to mention its called "terrible twos" for a REASON..Not for a diagnosis.

ARGH!!!

Love

Dallas

 

[Kilgore Trout]

They need to broaden their criteria. I'd estimate at least 80% of the human population is off their rockers.

 

[Alceste]

That's puberty for you.

 

[DallasApple]

That's puberty for you.

LOL!!!

Whatever happened to good old fashioned PMS and "raging hormones" syndrome?How about the 'awkward stage disorder"?

Love

Dallas