started are not what I'm dealing with now. Suicide and cutting was not a big thing, very far and few between, now I'm seeing it almost daily," Jones said.

 

Pennsylvania is the tenth worst state for mental health and treatment among youth, according to a ranking system devised by advocacy group Mental Health America. The rankings represent the prevalence of youth mental illness, and the access they have to services.

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In 2016, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Resources reported that less than 41 percent of adolescents with mental health issues received treatment across the United States.

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Adolescents that are homeless, LGBT+, or served by state child welfare and juvenile justice systems are less likely to receive services to treat mental health issues, according to the department. Stigma surrounding mental health also prevents treatment, the department reported.

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In addition, there is a shortage of child and adolescent psychiatrists in the United States. The department reported there are over 15 million individuals in need of psychiatric help, but only 8,300 practicing child and adolescent psychiatrists in the U.S.

 

In February, 2018, the American Academy of Pediatrics released a guide to help physicians diagnose and treat mental illness among adolescents. The guidelines had not been updated in a decade.

 

The academy recognized that mental health issues in adolescents often go undiagnosed and untreated.

 

The guidelines help practitioners evaluate the differences between mild, moderate and severe forms of depressive disorders in youths aged 10 to 21.
 

Possible Reasons for Teen Depression

Dr. Jennifer Thomas, associate professor of psychology at Wilkes University and developmental psychologist, provided some possible explanations for why mental health issues among teens are so prevalent.

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The need to form a connection was highlighted as a key reason for the high statistics, and marginalized groups are even more vulnerable, Thomas said.

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“If you go to school and you don’t feel like you belong there, you don’t see anybody that looks like you, the teachers don’t represent you or you just feel like maybe you’re treated differently,” Thomas said, might contribute to feelings of isolation.

 

Thomas explained that someone who doesn’t feel like they have any connections might interpret something like a failed test as proof that they don't belong.

 

The difference in emotional responses in adults and teenagers might contribute to the high level of depression as well.

 

While adults can process their reactions and stop any overreactions, teenagers often behave with their gut feeling, Thomas explained.

 

Falling in and out of love quickly can trigger major depressive episodes because of this disparate way teenagers process emotional information, she said, and adults often don’t know how to respond to this in a sensitive way. 

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The misunderstanding of teenage brains by adults can lead to a dismissal of the teen's feelings, Thomas explained.

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The negative stereotypes regarding teenagers as a social group may also have an impact on their mental health and self concepts.

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“We usually agree that it’s not okay to hold negative views of a group … if you think about teenagers, this is one group where it’s socially acceptable to have negative stereotypes,” Thomas said.

 

Thomas pointed to a few common stereotypes of teenagers, including that they are lazy, selfish and irrational.

 

“Maybe you’re more stressed because people are responding to you in less sensitive way. It can be a self fulfilling prophecy,” Thomas added.

 

Open dialogue is important for parents with teenage children.  

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“Having a parent that wants to talk to you about your decisions and sort of help guide you makes it less stressful. If you have a parent that shuts you down and tells you you're stupid, and tells you you can’t do anything, then it’s not shocking that you would have depression,” Thomas said.

 

Thomas said that raising early teenagers is the most stressful time of parenting.

 

“Another thing we can do is be supportive of parents of early teenagers and help build on the strengths of the parents,” Thomas added.

 

Resources, and the Trouble for Guidance Counselors

The Children’s Service Center, located in downtown Wilkes-Barre, offers a variety of affordable resources for young people experiencing mental health troubles.

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According to its website, the center is “deeply committed to the wellness of young people in our community” with services “designed to meet the individualized needs of children, adolescents, and their families.”

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The center serves individuals up to the age of 21, as long as they are enrolled in a high school program.

The center offers programs such as parent child interaction therapy, medication management and cognitive behavioral therapy, and has two community residential homes.

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The Crisis Intervention Services at the center provide immediate treatment. Individuals are referred when their mental health seems that it will lead to behavior that is dangerous to themselves or others.

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Rachel Drosdic is the current director of the Crisis Intervention Services, and has been involved since September, 2016.

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Drosdic works with clients who have experienced trauma and are dealing with serious mental health issues.

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“Some of our clients have extensive histories, the kind of stuff that if you write a movie about people would say 'that doesn’t happen.' Well, yeah, it does, and it’s happening here,” Drosdic said.

 

Drosdic communicates with local high schools and is involved in the Student Assistance Program, commonly referred to as SAP.

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Since 1984, SAP has been implemented in schools across Pennsylvania. SAP aims to provide a safe environment and mental wellness in schools. The program is designed to identify issues with alcohol, drugs and mental health, which may hinder student success, according to its website.

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Members of the SAP teams are trained by approved training providers who ensure those involved have up-to-date professional training.

 

“For some kids, having that access to someone in school is great,” Drosdic said.

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The SAP teams not only support the students, but also provide assistance to the guidance counselors.

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Jones is the only guidance counselor at James M. Coughlin High School, and has a case load of 500 students.

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“It gets challenging sometimes. If you’re here during lunch, sometimes my line is down the (hall),” Jones said. She credited the SAP team at the school for making her job feasible.

 

“Our SAP team is very, very active. Let me tell you, I couldn’t do my job without that SAP team. So it does help me feel like I have another guidance counselor sort of, that I have other eyes in the building,” Jones said.

 

In some schools, the teachers are as involved in the students’ mental health as the counselors.

 

There are teachers working after school hours to find improvements in the services offered to students on both a practical and political level, Drosdic said.

 

A mental health law approved in 2004 states that adolescents from age 14 can access mental health care without parental consent, according to the Pennsylvania General Assembly legislative website.

 

Some adolescents aren’t aware of the law, and Drosdic explained that some parents can block a child’s access to treatment if the individual doesn’t know they are allowed mental health treatment without parental consent.

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Jones said that some of the parents she works with are not helpful, and sometimes try to encourage their child to hide their mental illness. Most parents, however, are supportive.

 

“A lot of the parents here I’ve noticed, when I call them and say, ‘hey you need to come in here, we need to discuss this issue,’ they come right in. They’re usually helpful,” Jones added.

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James M. Coughlin High School serves a low-income area, and there is no budget designated for the guidance and counseling services, Jones stated.

 

“We’re actually hurting for money at this point,” Jones said.

 

Along with the shortage of child and adolescent psychiatrists, this can be an issue for students, no matter their socioeconomic background.

 

But Jones explained that many of her students lack insurance to cover their mental health. As a result, the Children’s Service Center has become an asset.

 

“A lot of my students don’t have insurance, so I have to send them to Children’s Service Center, because they’ll get coverage then,” Jones said.

 

Mental Health America reported that 5.7 percent of children in Pennsylvania that have health insurance do not have coverage for mental health issues.

 

Drosdic explained that many high school guidance counselors have multiple roles that prevent them from focusing on helping students suffering from mental illness.

 

Guidance counselors often have to schedule SAT and PSSA testing, and help students with college applications or work experience opportunities.

 

“Those are very time consuming activities that are very important, but can take away from the ability to just sit down with a kid,” Drosdic said.

 

“I just have to prioritize. I’m gonna be honest with you, some of the issues that I get that aren’t quite serious, they get swept under the rug. I can’t sit here for hours and talk to students like I would like to,” Jones said.

 

Lindsey Scorey, a junior at Holy Redeemer High School, a Wilkes-Barre Catholic private school, explained that their guidance counselors also have multiple roles, which might hinder any help for mental health issues.

 

“It’s a great department when it comes to picking classes or you need help with anything school-wise, but mental health-wise it’s not amazing,” she said.

 

“I think they try their best to try and help students, but they aren’t certified therapists, and honestly, if you are having issues you should consult one. When it comes to, like, going to guidance over little issues, our school does its best but it certainly could use work,” Scorey said.

 

The Director of Guidance at Holy Redeemer did not reply to an emailed request for comment.

 

Guidance counselors from Wyoming Seminary, another private school in Kingston, also declined to comment.

 

Stigma

Drosdic expressed concern that the stigma surrounding mental health still exists, and often people don’t want to talk about it.

 

“People don’t say anything because they don’t want to come off as pushy or judgemental, even when it’s out of genuine concern.” Drosdic said.

 

“The silence comes from ‘I didn’t want to make something out of nothing,' but what if you making nothing out of something though?” Drosdic asked.

 

Drosdic acknowledged that it is becoming more acceptable to ask someone about their mental health.

 

“I’m thrilled that the generation just younger than me ... really have the acceptance that you can ask someone if they’re thinking about suicide,” she said.

 

However, Jones explained that normalization might be a consequence of increased acceptance. 

 

“It [cutting] is so well spread, it’s kind of accepted. It’s just very scary to me. because if they think that's normal, what happens when they have children, and they have children ... we need something to say ‘hey, this is not normal.’ If you have a problem, go talk to somebody,” Jones said.