We all have our bad days, but for people with depression, every day can feel like a hassle. Depression is a mental health disorder that occurs for a variety of reasons which include genetics, brain chemicals, and personal situations.  

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, teenagers from ages 15 to 17 were reported to experience a 12-month depressive episode in a 15% to 16.1% range. In this time of their lives, teenagers can find themselves dealing with a lot of pressure. This stress can arise from problems with friends, school, or high expectations they have for themselves.

Feeling overstressed for a long time can lead to serious health problems such as chronic stress or depression. Sophomore students Giovanna Hernandez and Maria Hinojosa were drawn to the issue of mental illnesses in teenagers and wanted to do something to help.

Giovanna Hernandez mentioned their biggest challenge was spreading awareness to parents and other teens due to the stigma that exists within society’s views on mental disorders.

With the desire to spread awareness, these students created a pamphlet compiled with helpful information about depression and its symptoms. Maria Hinojosa explained, “In the pamphlet, we wrote about some symptoms and things that parents could do. For example, talk to them [teenager]. Pay more attention to their kid, or understand and realize that we might be at an age where we are growing up, and we get different emotions”.

Ms. Morales, a counselor at BOYCP, advocates for talking and reaching out to people. She also emphasized that “there are certain mental health groups you that you can go to… You can go see a therapist, and there are all kinds of therapy”. These are different options one can take to seek help, but everyone needs to figure out which treatment works best. The first step is the hardest to take, but remember, you will overcome any battle that comes your way.

– Citlali Perez