Understanding Anxiety and Depression in High School Students

1. Understanding Anxiety and Depression in High
School Students

2. Objectives:
• To understand our roles as educators in supporting students with anxiety and
depression
• To define anxiety and depression
• To be able to identify characteristics in high school students
• To understand possible influencing variables

3. It is our responsibility as educators to know the signs and symptoms of anxiety
and depression. We are then responsible for recognizing these signs in our
students and referring them to mental health professionals, such as our school
counselors. As educators it is not our job to provide therapy, but rather to provide
support so students can be successful in our classrooms.

4. Persistent sad, anxious, or “empty” mood
Feelings of hopelessness, or pessimism
Irritability
Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, or helplessness
Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and
activities
Decreased energy or fatigue
Moving or talking more slowly
Feeling restless or having trouble sitting still
Difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making
decisions
Difficulty sleeping, early-morning awakening, or
oversleeping
Appetite and/or weight changes
Thoughts of death or suicide, or suicide
attempts
Aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or
digestive problems without a clear physical
cause and/or that do not ease even with
treatment
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/depression/index.shtml

5. Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Excessive worry or nervousness
Restlessness or feeling wound-up or on edge
Being easily fatigued
Difficulty concentrating or having their minds go blank
Irritability
Muscle tension
Difficulty controlling the worry
Sleep problems (difficulty falling or staying asleep or restless, unsatisfying sleep
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/anxiety-disorders/index.shtml

6. Panic Disorder
Sudden and repeated attacks of intense fear
Feelings of being out of control during a panic attack
Intense worries about when the next attack will happen
Fear or avoidance of places where panic attacks have occurred in the past
Heart palpitations
Rapid heartbeat
Sweating, shaking, sensation of shortness of breath
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/anxiety-disorders/index.shtml

7. Social Anxiety
Feeling highly anxious about being with other people and having a hard time talking to them
Feeling very self-conscious in front of other people and worried about feeling humiliated, embarrassed,
or rejected, or fearful of offending others
Being very afraid that other people will judge them
Worrying for days or weeks before an event where other people will be
Staying away from places where there are other people
Having a hard time making friends and keeping friends
Blushing, sweating, or trembling around other people
Feeling nauseous or sick to your stomach when other people are around
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/anxiety-disorders/index.shtml

8. Prevalence Among 13-18 Year Olds
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/prevalence/index.shtml

9. Depression Anxiety
(Hirschfield, 2001)

10. • The teen brain is in a critical time of development
• Genetic and environmental variables.

12. The Teen Brain Still Under Construction

14. Anxiety
and
Depression
genetics
trauma
family
life
sleep
executive
dysfunction

15. Other
Possible
Influencing
Factors
Diet & Exercise
Executive
dysfunction
Peer pressure
Obligation to
school
Overscheduled
Pressure from
parents
Social media

18. References
Ruder, D. (2008, September/October). The Teen Brain. Retrieved May 16, 2016, from
http://harvardmagazine.com/2008/09/the-teen-brain.html
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/depression/index.shtml