CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.0       Background of the Study

 Depression is one of the most widespread mental disorders among youths (Kiringlen, Torgersen & Crammer, 2001) in Western society. Depression is an affective, or mood disorder. It is an illness that immerses its sufferers in a world of self-blame, confusion and hopelessness. It is an illness of the mind. Some could argue that depression is a way of coping with life’s pressures (Schwartz, 1993). In the past, depression was not recognized to exist among youths. However, researchers studying depression suggest that depression exist among youths (Loh, 2010).

Depression in youths has been acknowledged as a problem (Nunley, 2001). Depressive symptoms are often viewed as normal adolescents’ behavior or moodiness. Adolescents with depressive symptoms have difficulty expressing how they feel and may use other means of expression such as acting out which often interpreted as misbehavior. Early psychoanalytic formulations presumed that young adolescents did not have the psychological structure (e.g. super ego functions) to truly experience depression, clinical and empirical evidence revealed that adolescents do indeed suffer from both depressive symptoms and depressive disorders. In fact, depression in adolescent was overlooked rather than “masked” possibly because of disruptive behaviors and co morbid disorders were more salient than were depressive symptoms. Depression is a serious problem that impacts every aspect of adolescents’ life. It can lead to drug abuse, self-loathing and pregnancy, violence and even suicide. Depression can destroy the very essence of adolescents’ personality causing an overwhelming sense of sadness, despair or anger. Usually, adolescents rely on parents, teachers, or caregivers to recognize his or her suffering and get him or her treatment.

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