Teachers Guide to Depressed Students

Depression is a more serious condition than just feeling sad or down all the time. In fact, depressed students can take drastic measures that might threaten either their own safety or the safety of others, so it's important not to ignore the problem; instead, you should be aware of the warning signs so that you can help the student get appropriate treatment.

Recognizing the Signs

• The most prominent indicators of depression for youngsters are irritability, agitation, restlessness, aggression and rage. Other signs include ongoing feelings of sadness, frequent crying, difficulty concentrating, lack of enthusiasm and energy, feelings of worthlessness, and no interest in any activities. While some students, namely teenagers, may exhibit some of these symptoms sporadically, the depressed youngster will seem to feel this way all the time, making it very difficult to learn and focus on classwork. In addition, depressed kids never seem to "bounce back" and have these negative feelings much more intensely than someone who is just having a bad day. If you have someone in your classroom who is volatile, you need to address the underlying causes of this ticking time bomb.

What To Do

• The first thing you should do is talk with the student to see if you can confirm your suspicions. Take some time to talk with the youngster about anything that might be troubling her. See if you can determine what her underlying feelings are about herself and the world around her. Say things like: "Tell me something good about yourself" or "How would you describe yourself?" If she can't think of something positive to say, then she might have some self-esteem issues. You can also ask what kind of world we live in--basically good or bad, and ask her to explain why she thinks so. If, after the conversation, you suspect that the student is depressed, it's time to contact the parents as well as the school counselor. If the student refuses to talk with you at all, express your concerns to her family and other professionals who can help her.

Lesson Plans

• You can also create lesson plans to help students become aware of the possibility that they might be experiencing depression. These types of lessons can be tied into pretty much any subject by pointing out how a particular mathematician, scientist or other historical figure experienced depression and what the consequences were on his life and work. English teachers might have students read works of literature with depressed characters as a way to open up a discussion about depression.

  You might assign students projects or presentations where they explore the subject of depression--what the signs and symptoms are and why getting treatment is important. You might also try panel discussions or role-playing, where one student is depressed and the other student is a friend trying to help. You could have them write a report about a depressed character from a book, movie or TV show and whether this person was able to cope with her problem on her own or needed to seek professional help to overcome it. The educational possibilities are endless and are only limited by your imagination.

  If students can recognize that they may be depressed but that they are not alone in this experience, then there is a chance that they will talk with someone (even you) about it as a first step to getting the help they need.