Depression among young people put in the spotlight

The Taipei City Psychiatric Center and other psychiatric organizations have increased efforts to promote awareness of depression in youths under the age of 25 during October, which has been declared Mental Health Month by the Department of Health.

According to Lee Ming-been (李明濱), superintendent of the center, roughly 90 percent of all suicide attempts are a result of depression, despite the fact that almost all cases can be treated.

He said that while depression is most common among people around the age of 40, the center has chosen to focus on depression in young people because of the complications that usually accompany it.

"Because parents don't understand that young people can also suffer from depression, they often fail to identify the symptoms," Lee said.

About 20 percent of young people suffering from depression eventually get involved in substance abuse of some kind. In youths between the ages of 15 and 25, suicide was the third most likely cause of death last year, Lee said.

One of the psychiatrists at the center, Kuo Chian-jue (郭千哲), attributed the problem to an increa-singly fast-paced society.

The Child Welfare League Foundation yesterday revealed the results of a survey that indicates 79.8 percent of the 660 people questioned feel that children face a greater amount of stress today than ever before. About three-quarters of respondents believe that youths today are inadequately equipped to deal with disappointment, pressure and personal problems.

The Taiwan Association Against Depression cited records confirming that 20 percent of the female population and 10 percent of males in Taiwan suffer from depression. The association also found that at least 1 million people in Taiwan suffer from depression. Around 130,000 of them live in Taipei.

In response to the increase in the number of youthful depression cases, the John Tung Foundation created a self-evaluation chart to aid in identifying symptoms of depression. The chart can be found at convenience stores and online at www.jtf.org.tw.

Kuo cautioned that only a trained expert could make a diagnosis and decide on a suitable treatment plan.