Hidden killer: Depression screening should be mandatory in schools

For children suffering from mental disorders, such as depression, it is much more difficult to succeed in life and in school. According to the World Health Organization, depression is one of the main causes of low grades, suicide risks and has a terrible impact on the well-being and academic success of students, if not treated. It is for that reason that depression screening should be mandatory at public schools. Adults test youth for intelligence, blood pressure, weight and physical diseases, so why not test for depression and other mental illnesses?

According to the Maternal and Child Health Journal, two percent of young children and eight percent of teenagers suffer from chronic depression; over 350 million people around the world are affected by depression. Detecting depression early could greatly impact the wellbeing of these individuals and not only benefit them in school, but in life in general.

“The number-one illness worldwide that causes morbidity is major depression. It causes people to miss work, school and not function at the level they should be able to,” Rimal Bera, psychiatrist at UC Irvine Medical Center, said.

Currently, depression screening is only available at personal expense, rather than being offered to all students in the United States. With many of these students suffering potential chronic depression, we, as a nation, need to ensure that our children are healthy and achieving at their highest potential. By advocating for depression screening in public schools, our nation can not only help improve the success of suffering individuals, but also prevent suicide.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only about a third of those experiencing severe depression have had contact with a mental health professional. Depression is extremely under-diagnosed, causing harming effects to the individuals suffering from the disease.

“This is one of the nation’s leading killers and causes of disability, and it has enormous effects throughout our society. It’s too important to be optional,” Dr. Nelson Freimer, UCLA psychiatrist, said.

The US needs to take a stand to ensure that schools provide screening for depression. Whilst depression may not be considered as “important” or “severe” as other tested diseases, the illness is one of the most chronic killers in our country and needs to be healed.

“The stigma of mental illness will always be stronger than the stigma of physical illness since depression can’t be found with a blood test 0r an x-ray. The stigma will lower with education, screening and healthier students,” Bera said.

As a country we need to take steps to improve students’ well-beings and mental health, without the burden of depression weighing them down. For this to occur, depression screening in schools is fundamental.