Polish teenagers with mental problems. The rescue plan has started

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One in five teenagers has anxiety, depression and other mental disorders. The problem concerns children from neglected houses and those from the so-called good ones. Alcohol, violence or an excess of responsibilities and unfulfilled ambitions is an equally toxic mix. On November 21, one of the 14 Community Mental Health Centers was opened in Warsaw to save the mental condition of Polish youth. We talk to Katarzyna Kucewicz, a psychologist and psychotherapist, about the problems of Polish children.

1. Every fifth teenager in Poland has mental problems. On November 21, one of 14 pilot centers, i.e. Environmental Mental Health Centers, was opened in Warsaw, which are to save the mental health of Polish youth
2. The first model center was launched in Warsaw’s Bielany. – We do not realize how many Poles this applies to. In Poland, one in five people has a mental disorder, altogether from 5 to 8 million Poles, and only a million of them receive treatment. Increasingly, these disorders affect children – even half of these diseases arise in adolescence – said Jerzy Kwieciński, Minister of Investment and Development
3. We only diagnose depression in 20 percent of those who have it. What about the rest? As many as 80 percent of patients are diagnosed with a misdiagnosis or a lack of it. Parents very often take matters into their own hands and ignore disturbing symptoms. Unfortunately, adults still feel that they know better and that they know their children best – says Katarzyna Kucewicz in an interview with Zuzanna Opolska

Zuzanna Opolska, Medonet: Eight thousand Polish children are treated for depression every year. What do you think about these statistics?

The number of children and adolescents not receiving treatment remains the biggest problem. It is said that we only diagnose depression in 20 percent of those who have it. What about the rest? As many as 80 percent of patients are diagnosed with a misdiagnosis or a lack of it. Parents very often take matters into their own hands and ignore disturbing symptoms. Unfortunately, adults still feel that they know better and that they know their children best.

Can depression manifest differently in children than in adults?

Yes, but doctors find it on the same diagnostic principles. In both cases, depression is associated with long-term depressed mood. The symptoms characteristic of children are concentration and attention disorders. Students drop out of school, stop doing homework, and don’t show up at school. What they usually remember in two hours, they now remember in five or not at all. They get bored quickly. In extreme cases, they do not want to leave the room, withdraw from social contacts, their only friend is the computer. They can react aggressively to every attempt to get close. Behavioral changes are most commonly seen in adolescents, and somatic symptoms in toddlers. In the youngest, diagnosis is more difficult, because most often they are unable to say what is wrong with them and why they feel unwell. They may regress, stop talking, and even start soaking at night. Another common symptom is stomach pain. The pediatrician determines that everything is fine and the parents think the baby is faking it.

Can you confuse depression with behavioral disorders, hyperactivity, e.g. with ADHD?

Sometimes, when depression is accompanied by aggressive, rebellious or destructive behavior. Often in boys there is an increase in irritability and anger. Such symptoms are not characteristic of depression, which is why doctors sometimes diagnose ADHD. But when depression lasts longer, there is a withdrawal and a melancholy attitude. Fear related to the lack of a sense of security plays a huge role. It is mainly associated with the loss of the so-called safe object – the parent dies or leaves. Returning to work after leave, when the child is left alone, can also be a “departure”. Anxiety is also a reaction to life changes, a new school, a move. If the parents do not talk about these emotions with the child, they will not process it, it will close in on itself. And a depressed child is a very difficult patient, distrustful and unable to trust anyone. If he loses the bond with his parent or guardian, it is difficult for him to establish contact with a stranger, i.e. a therapist.

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Depression affects girls twice as often, why?

Girls experience depression more classically and it is easier to diagnose it. They mostly become sad, apathetic and withdrawn. Such a child naturally arouses the attention of the parent who reacts correctly and reports to the doctor. In boys, as in men, depression often takes the form of aggression. And it can be confused with ADHD or teenage rebellion. The messages “leave me alone” or “I’m already an adult” are not always read correctly. But it’s better to be safe than sorry, and if your child’s frustration and anger persists, consult a specialist.

Can depression in children be associated with self-defeating behavior?

Yes, with self-harm, anorexia or bulimia. The child begins to hate his own body. The little patients simply say “I can’t look at myself” or “I puke at the sight of myself.” At this moment, there will be boys with make-up in my office, with a foundation and a blush on their face, long black eyelashes. Girls are addicted to weight loss. It is said that bulimia is a disease of female students, but anorexia is a disease of adolescents. When such behaviors occur, therapy is hard work of self-acceptance. Depression can also be associated with alcoholism or drug addiction. We do not see that the child is suffering, but we do see that he returns home drunk. In such a situation, picking up pocket money or house arrest and checking will not help much. We need to ask ourselves if there’s nothing more behind the bottle of wine or a joint. We cannot devalue the problems and needs of children. The first heartbreak is as much a drama as losing your job, so let’s not be surprised that a few-year-old is not able to bear it.

Can parental depression affect the child?

A depressive parent is often contagious with an attitude of helplessness and passivity in life. The child heroically enters his role and takes over responsibility for the home. Such a gigantic burden can lead to depression. Some studies show that depression and mental disorders are hereditary. If a parent admits to depression, talks about it openly and treats it, the opposite may be the case. You have to talk to the child. The fact that I am not a mother like Pola’s mother does not mean that Pola is a better girl. Children take many situations, inadvertently spoken words personally and often blame themselves for the parent’s depression.

Do depressed children often commit suicide?

The risk is very great, much greater than that of adults. Last year alone, 177 children took their own lives, and the youngest of them was under nine years old. Children most often do not die in car accidents, as a result of drug overdose or legal highs, but they die as a result of attempts on their own lives. I had a patient who failed to help. A child’s suicide is a terrible trauma, for me, as a therapist, this experience “bent in two”. I know I did everything I could, but in my heart there are always doubts. It is said that a real suicide cannot be saved because the need to die is stronger than the survival instinct. And if it occurs, we are not able to influence the patient’s final decision, psychotherapy or drugs are simply not enough. We cannot look to blame but accept what happened and survive. Yes – life will never be the same again, because this person is not there, but maybe it is also possible to live differently. If a teenager dies because of unhappy love, mourning lasts for years. In such a situation, parents often need the help of a psychologist or psychiatrist.

What is the treatment like for children and how is it for adolescents?

Older children aged 17–18 may visit the therapist on their own. For younger people, family therapy is the best solution. Most often, a depressed child represents a disturbed family system. In other words, what happens at home makes your child sick. Patchwork families are not always reconstructed families. It seems to us that everything is fine, because we made an agreement with our ex or ex. But did we talk about the new situation with the baby? It will survive without a new iPhone or console, but it won’t necessarily be able to cope with the lack of conversation and feelings. Parents often say: “I try my best, I don’t drink, I don’t beat, I earn.” But are they good enough parents also in the eyes of their own child?

Because child depression does not only occur in pathological families.

Yes, it does not happen only to neglected and unwashed kids from housing estates. Also for kids living in beautiful houses with perfectly trimmed grass in the garden. Maybe there is no alcohol or violence there, but there is an excess of duties and unfulfilled ambitions.

1. Check it out: Depression test. When a teenager sees the world in black colors

Do we use pharmacotherapy for children?

Yes, but psychotherapy plays the biggest role. Talking to your child and their parents, finding problems and trying to solve them is paramount. A very interesting initiative by Dr. Katarzyna Szaulińska, who travels with the comic book “Black Waves” to schools all over Poland. Teaches lessons on depression. Models and bloggers are advertising the campaign by taking a selfie with the Black Waves brochure. Every teenager should read this comic. We must speak out about adolescent depression.

What are the chances that a depressed child will turn into a depressed adult years later?

There is a high probability that this will happen, but if the child enters therapy and receives adequate support, this scenario may not come true. If we teach them now how to deal with negative thoughts, they will be able to react appropriately to crisis situations in the future. The statistics are disturbing, but let’s remember that statistics are not judgments.