Anxiety and Depression’s effects on Students

On August 30th, Selena Gomez canceled many tour dates from her Revival Tour. In a later interview, she confessed that it had to do with her anxiety and her diagnosis of Lupus. Lupus is an autoimmune disease where the body harms the healthy tissues.

Depression and anxiety are spoken about more openly each and every day. Depression is a medical condition where a person feels hopeless, worthless and more. Anxiety is a also a medical condition where the person always feel anxious, worried and more. Over the past couple of years, over 15 celebrities have confessed to having troubles with one or even both of these mental illnesses.

Anxiety and depression are not strangers in the world we know and live in today. Throughout the past decade, the numbers of each diagnosis has drastically changed. For example, a recent study done by Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, has shown that around five to eight times as many teens and college student have been diagnosed with one of these two mental illnesses. Those numbers are growing larger and larger each day. The two illnesses do not apply to just celebrities. Cean Ingram is a guidance counselor from at Marrs Middle Magnet Center where she works with kids from fifth up until eighth grade.

“I say middle school and high school and even people up into their twenties experience anxiety the most,” Ingram said. On a yearly basis, Ingram deals with at least five students who experience one of these struggles.

“Technology! We are always multi-tasking now… when we stop, we do not have purposeful things to occupy our mind,” Ingram believes may be what has made the levels of depression and anxiety rise.

In late 2015, a recent study done by the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, confirmed that heavy technology use has increased the levels of depression and stress. She experienced the effects of depression at a very young age. When in middle school, her classmate committed suicide. It struck her and even since that day she has vowed to be the adult that any child can come to and not be judged about anything they need to talk about.

“I hope I’ve succeeded,” she said. Anxiety and depression does not only affect middle school children. Liliane Jamal, a counselor at Omaha North High School has experienced many cases. Jamal battles with anxiety and depression not only with the student body, but with herself. She speaks with children from freshman year up until graduation.

“The advancements in education, awareness, more understanding scientifically and genetically has made talking about it easier ,” Jamal said even though there is still a negative stigma around mental illnesses.

Liliane Jamal has helped many kids at Omaha North when it comes to depression and anxiety. Her own personal experience helps her be able to connect with the kids going through it.

“It WILL get better, but you have to decide to make some changes that might be uncomfortable,” Ingram said with a smile.