Research Proposal: Depression in Children & Adolescence - A Cause for Concern?

Essay by EileenmaloneUniversity, Bachelor'sC, October 2006

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Introduction

Unhappiness among children and adolescents seems to be rising, but labeling it as depression and prescribing antidepressants are ineffective and possibly harmful, (Timimi, S (2005), isn't it about time we focus on the underlying reasons? Common misconceptions and responses to hearing that a child is depressed or has depression are, 'but what do they have to be depressed about?'. Just 40 years ago, many physicians doubted the existence of significant depressive disorders in children, primarily because they believed that children lacked the mature psychological and cognitive structure necessary to experience these problems. (www.aafp.org).

The reason why this matter is worthy of an investigation is because it is or perhaps will inevitably become a serious social concern. This I feel is true because aren't children suppose to be the future? If this matter is left un dealt with, what will become of our future? I feel it is very important to start addressing the issues surrounding depression now in order to teach the next generation on how to be resilient against these matters if possible.

I propose to investigate this matter further by looking at the social factors surrounding depression in contemporary Britain. I propose to seek out how this has happened by looking at the ontological aspect of this phenomena, I aim to prove that depression in children and adolescents is a major cause for concern in society. The epistemology of this social concern is also of great value to the research of this study as I intend on finding out why are our children and adolescents depressed? When carrying out research I found many books on the treatment for depression, with a lack about meanings behind it. I intend on investigating the sociological aspects concerned with depression in children and adolescent so that society can begin...