Educational Videos

Youth Mental Health Series: Dealing with Depression

Synopsis:

 At some stage in their lives most young people become depressed about something - whether it's school, relationships, family life, or even the state of the planet! And fortunately for most, depression is usually just a passing phase: an emotional state that's a normal part of the ups and downs of growing into adulthood.

But for an increasing minority of young people, depression is becoming an alarming longer-term illness with the potential to devastate relationships, family life, and school or work performance - and ultimately lead to thoughts of more self-destructive behaviour, such as suicide.

So in this new 23 minute program produced by Media Australia we set out to explore depression, and provide some factual and commonsense information about this very complex, but very normal human emotion. In particular, this program provides some answers to key questions such as:

• what is depression?
• what causes depression?
• what are the signs or symptoms of depression?
• who suffers from depression?
• what are the differences between male and female depression?
• how does Australia's rates of depression compare to world trends?
• what sorts of things typically cause depression amongst young people?
• how do you treat depression - and for how long?
• and how can friends, parents or teachers help a young person suffering from
• depression?

The program features expert information from Australia's leading depression authority: 'Beyond Blue' (the national depression initiative), together with a series of incisive and frank vox pops with secondary school students, and two case studies on depression involving:

• the emotional firsthand story of Ayesha McWilliam, who tragically lost her sister to suicide after suffering almost a decade of depression;
• and how elite athletes (from AFL football, and the Commonwealth Games' winning Australian women's netball team) cope with performance and injury related depression; then help young people to cope with their own problems.

This thought-provoking program comes with Teacher Notes and should be compulsory viewing for every secondary and TAFE level student - as well as their teachers, parents and school councillors keen to improve the welfare role of our schools.

The program should also be required viewing for anyone involved in educating, training, mediating or caring for young people as they grow into young adults - such as trainee teachers, welfare & social workers, police officers, nurses, doctors and other care professionals.

MEDIA AUSTRALIA
PO Box 2039, BDC
Bendigo, Vic 3554

Telephone: (03) 5439 3926
Mobile: 0417 146 762
Email: pwiseman@mediaust.com.au