How to Prevent Depression Among High School Students: Insights from Psychological Experts | Safe and Sound
Depression in high school students is becoming more and more common, but many signs are easily confused with puberty changes and are often overlooked. According to psychologists, if not detected and intervened promptly, depression can seriously affect the learning outcomes as well as the quality of life of students. This article will help identify the signs, causes and effective ways to prevent depression in high school students.
Nguyen Thi Mai Anh | Bachelor of Psychology - Applied mental health care Safe and Sound
Institute of Medical Technology Applications
1. Signs of depression in high school students
Depression has a big impact on students
According to psychologists, the rate of high school students suffering from depression is increasing, but because the early signs are difficult to recognize, they are often overlooked. If not recognized early, depression can seriously affect students' mental health, academic performance and social relationships. Understanding the signs of depression is the first step to preventing and treating depression promptly.
See more: Can depression heal itself?
Signs of depression in high school students according to psychologists include:
- Feeling tired all the time : Students often feel tired and lose energy. Some may experience physical symptoms such as headaches, stomachaches, aches, chest tightness or difficulty breathing without any known cause.
- Loss of interest and pleasure in daily activities : Psychologists say that when depressed, children no longer want to participate in activities they used to love and become indifferent to everything around them.
- Unusual weight changes: Some students show signs of rapid weight loss or weight gain without changing their diet, which psychologists warn should be monitored carefully.
- Sleep disorders : Children may sleep too much or have difficulty sleeping or prolonged insomnia.
- Unusual and defiant behavior appears : According to psychologists, when depressed, students may suddenly burst into tears, scream, get angry for no apparent reason, even skip school, cause trouble, steal, and defy adults.
- Withdrawal, self-isolation : Children often avoid communication, do not want to participate in class and school activities. Thinking, gestures, and speech become slow. They tend to withdraw, isolate themselves and become indifferent to even the closest people.
- Persistent negative mood : Psychologists say that feelings of sadness, discouragement, hopelessness, worthlessness and low self-esteem are clear signs of depression.
- Reduced learning ability : Children begin to have difficulty concentrating, learn slowly, have reduced thinking ability and often cannot make decisions even with the simplest choices.
- Negative thoughts and dangerous behavior : Some children may have alcohol addiction, be irritable, or even endanger themselves and others. More serious are thoughts of death, plans, or actions of suicide.
Psychologists recommend that if parents notice that their child has one or more of the above signs of depression, and these signs last for at least 2 weeks, they should quickly seek support. Taking the child to see a psychiatrist or psychologist is necessary for timely examination and intervention.
2. What leads to depression in high school students?
Psychologists say that depression symptoms among high school students do not appear randomly but often originate from many complex intertwined factors. Below are some common causes mentioned by psychologists:
- Sensitive transitional stage: High school students are in a transitional stage between children and adults, they begin to want to be independent and free to develop. However, because they do not have enough ability to perceive comprehensively, if not properly oriented, they are easily influenced by negative thoughts, which leads to signs of depression.
- High pressure in studying: Students in this stage often have to face a large amount of knowledge and important exams. The pressure of grades from teachers and friends makes them increasingly tired and exhausted. According to psychological experts, this is one of the leading causes that makes students prone to prolonged stress, insomnia and reduced interest in studying.
- Excessive expectations from parents: Many psychologists warn that parents setting goals that are too high and expecting their children to achieve outstanding results can exceed their children's actual abilities. This creates invisible pressure, making students feel that they are always not good enough, easily leading to low self-esteem and depression.
- Negative effects from social networks: Psychologists also emphasize that the abuse of electronic devices and constant exposure to "self-comparison" content and the pursuit of a perfect image make many children feel a lack of self-confidence, vulnerable and show signs of depression such as social withdrawal, loss of interest in studying, feelings of inferiority and uselessness.
Social networks negatively affect high school students' mental health
3. How to prevent depression in high school students?
3.1. From the family side
Not only is the family a safe place for children to share their feelings, but it also helps to minimize the negative effects of stressful events. Here are some things psychologists advise parents to do to help prevent depression in high school students:
- Listen and understand your child's feelings : Instead of imposing your opinions or expectations, taking the time to listen will help parents better understand the difficulties and pressures their children are experiencing.
- Don't create too much pressure : Psychologists say that prolonged study pressure can make children feel tired and stressed, thereby increasing the risk of depression.
- Communicate positively and openly with your children : When parents create a comfortable space for conversation, children will feel trusted and safe to share their difficulties in studying and life.
- Avoid comparison, criticism or pressure : Psychologists advise that comparing with friends or siblings can make children feel inferior, pressured and lose confidence.
- Accompanying and providing emotional support : When children face pressure or challenges, the presence and listening of parents will help them confidently face and overcome difficulties more effectively.
3.2. From the school side
Schools play an important role in early detection and intervention of mental health problems in students, as this is where they spend most of their time learning and interacting with teachers and friends.
- Building a safe, positive school environment : Psychologists warn that the current focus on achievement and grades in school environments can lead to values such as connection and mutual support being overlooked. This leads to bullying and increases the risk of depression in students. Schools need to build a positive culture that emphasizes support and understanding.
- Implement prevention and early intervention programs : Schools need to proactively develop life skills education programs, emotional management, and raise awareness of mental health for students from an early age. At the same time, there needs to be a mechanism for early detection and timely support for students showing signs of psychological difficulties, such as organizing psychological counseling sessions, using appropriate screening questionnaires when in doubt, and coordinating with psychological experts when necessary.
- Training skills to cope with stress : Schools should organize activities to help students identify and cope with stress, which is a key factor in preventing depression. Psychologists suggest that through specialized activities, skill clubs or integrated lessons, students can learn to practice relaxation methods such as deep breathing, meditation, writing down negative thoughts... to improve mood, increase the ability to withstand pressure and improve mental health.
- Practice emotional management : In addition to coping with stress, students also need to practice the skills of recognizing and regulating emotions. Schools can integrate this content into the life skills program, helping students learn to name emotions, control behavior when angry, anxious, sad and respond positively to difficult situations in study and life.
- Improving knowledge for teachers and staff: According to psychological experts, regular training helps teachers and staff in schools to recognize early signs of depression in students and know how to support in emergency situations.
- Working with parents : Through communication activities, schools can guide parents to recognize early signs of depression, while emphasizing the importance of prevention and early intervention for best results.
- The role of school psychologists is indispensable. They not only participate in the intervention process but also act as consultants, accompanying students, parents and teachers in protecting school mental health.
3.3. From the student side
- Healthy diet: A balanced diet of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, proteins and fats can help improve mood, creating the foundation for a healthy mind.
- Exercise: Just 15 minutes of exercise a day can improve your mood, sleep quality, and reduce your risk of depression. It’s a natural, effective way to boost your mental health.
Exercise is an effective way to prevent depression.
- Get enough sleep: According to psychologists, quality sleep not only strengthens memory but also supports a healthy immune system, helping the body fight disease better. High school students should sleep 8 to 10 hours a night to maintain mental and physical health as well as the ability to concentrate on studying.
- Reduce time spent on social media : Spending too much time on social media not only affects the quality of sleep, causing loss of concentration in studying but also increases the risk of anxiety and depression. Students need to be guided to use social media in a healthy way. In addition to studying, the time spent on social media for entertainment should not exceed 2 hours per day. At the same time, avoid using social media at least 1 hour before going to bed to ensure quality sleep.
Depression in high school students not only affects the spirit but also directly impacts physical health and quality of life. Prevention and early detection of signs are key factors to timely support.
However, when signs such as prolonged sadness, loss of interest, changes in sleep, negative thinking continue for many weeks and greatly affect learning and daily activities, students should be taken to see a psychologist. Timely intervention will help prevent serious consequences and support students to overcome difficult times in the best way.
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