Encouraging Adolescents to Seek Help for Depression and Anxiety

This article discusses the importance of encouraging adolescents to seek help for depression and anxiety. It explores a health promotion program aimed at reducing the number of adolescents suffering from these disorders. The article also highlights the communication strategy, including the use of social media and posters, to reach out to adolescents.

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Encouraging Adolescents to Seek Help for Depression and Anxiety
Name
Department
College/University
Avenue
Street
Address

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Introduction
Anxiety and depression disorders are common and disable people of varied ages. As a result, the
disorders lead to severe misery to human beings, loss in economic output as well as lost health [1].
Encouraging people to seek help and the subsequent treatment of anxiety and depression
disorders have intrinsic benefits both to the individuals and society at large leading to instant and
long-term higher gains in economy and productivity [1].People with anxiety and depression may
fear taking the initial steps in seeking help for their conditions. As such, they are advised to get
support from close friends, family members, and mental health therapists [3]. In Australia, about a
million people suffer from depression with the ratio being higher in women compared to men
standing at 1:6 and 1:8 respectively [3]. The sooner one seeks help and support, the sooner they
recover from anxiety. Effects of depression and anxiety among youths include chronic pain,
inflammation, weight loss, sexual problems, lack of quality sleep, and heart diseases [1].
Health Promotion Program
There are different programs around the globe aimed at controlling and preventing depression
among adolescents. For example, the prevention of depression through personalized programs [6].
This program is persuasive in nature and encourages adolescents to focus on mitigating
depression and anxiety among themselves. Through the program, vulnerability of adolescents to
anxiety and depressive disorders will be reviewed[6].The main aim of the program therefore is to
reduce the number of adolescents suffering from anxiety and depression disorders by
encouraging them to share their problems and seek assistance from family members, friends and
health professionals [15]. In doing so, program will address the factors responsible for depression
and anxiety among adolescents. As such, depression and anxiety are attributed to factors such as

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medical conditions, withdrawal from addiction to illicit substance like alcohol, environmental
factors like social relations, and brain chemistry [2]. Adolescents constitute the future workforce
of the federation. It is of utmost importance to ensure that they are fully equipped and prepared
for the success of the nation [8]. The campaign is pivotal for eradicating the impediments to ones
mental health hence a success to the economy of the nation and improvement on the overall
health of the adolescents.
It is specifically practical to target adolescents through the social media, social websites,
discussion boards, and school notice boards as these are the places most visited by adolescents [9].
Also, the program target clinical and educational sites like the counseling department and
institutional hospitals and dispensaries. Through these sites, adolescents will come into contact
with the social marketing program where they will get persuaded to seek help from depression
and anxiety [10].The program notes that change is a gradual process that comes with time often
passing though varied steps and stages [11]. The choice of social media results from widespread
consumption of the internet activities by the youths through smartphones, tablets and laptops
In addition, the program advocates for cognitive behavior therapy as a mechanism of minimizing
effects of depression and anxiety among adolescents [13]. Furthermore, the program is intended to
put forth the benefits adolescents will get if they seek treatment and assistance on the issues that
depress them. Also, social media makes it communication through pictures, messaging, and
videos of victims of depression and anxiety to the students hence cautionary messages are passed
to the audience [11]. Additionally, the social campaign will involve the use of posters placed at
strategic places targeting not only victims of depression and anxiety, but also other students as
well. Posters will be placed at clinical sites such as hospitals and counseling centers within the
institution. Besides, the posters will carry emotional messages both pictorial and plain texts

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demonstrating the causes, prolonged effects of anxiety and the benefits one realizes when they
effectively seek help. The poster will conclude with recommendations motivating the audience to
work towards a change in their behavior; helping the audience contemplate and prepare for the
intended change. Consequently, the audience will be triggered to evaluate the implications of the
message.
Moreover, the program carries alternative activities for the victims of anxiety and depression.
Since anxiety is more of chronic in nature, its development and diagnosis improves with time [14].
On this regard, the program highlights some of the activities students should participate in as this
will minimize their exposure to depression. Also, the website will promote confidence of the
students through assurance of utmost privacy on the issues affecting them. Once the students
with anxiety are encouraged to seek help, chances are that they will thereafter seek medication
therefore delivering a positive impact on the behavior of the students [8].
Program Logic Model
Program aim: To encourage adolescents to seek help for depression and anxiety
Figure 1: Logic Model (Source: Author)
Inputs
New social
program for
adolescents
funding over 2½
years
Activities
Persuasion and
informative
packages
developed.
Adolescents
sensitized through
social media.
Resources
developed
Outputs
Preventive
intervention
availed to youths.
Resources
provided.
Clients interested
in seeking help
for anxiety
Impacts
Increased
awareness on
depression and
anxiety
Improved support
for clients
Program is
effective
Outcomes
Reduction in
depression and
anxiety among
adolescents hence
improved health

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Action and Implementation Plan Timelines
Step 1: Managing the Process
The purpose of this step is to manage the participation of stakeholders, timeframe, required
resources, determination of the methods to be used for collecting data, techniques of data
interpretation, and finally is the making of decision. This step is likely to last about three months.
Step 2: Conducting Assessment of the Possible Situations
At this step, the program will be centered on learning the attributes of adolescents including
trends, needs, likes, wants, issues affecting them, and the implementation process. This step
require approximately three months as well.
Step 3: Identification of Population of Interest, Goals, Outcomes, and Objectives
The step is mean for more learning about step two so that the goals, wants, needs, trends, and
other attributes of adolescents are extensively understood. Besides, the step will involve
description of each attribute and the expectations. Still the process will also last for three months
Step 4: Identification of Strategies, Resources, and Activities
The step will involve thorough analysis of the situational assessment so that effective strategies
can be formulated. Identification of strategies begins by brainstorming and which the best

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implementation program is selected using frameworks such as socio-ecological model and the
Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion. This is followed by identification of activities for the
strategy. Availability of resources is also considered as well.
Step 5: Indicators Development
The purpose of the step is to come up with the variables that can indicate the level to which the
set objectives are met. The step also last for three months.
Step 6: Reviewing the Program Plan
The step clarifies the contribution that each component and activity had with reference with the
aims and objectives of the program. Besides, gaps are identified ensuring that enough resources
are availed for the process. Once all these are taken into account, the program is then rolled out
to effect the change in behavior.
Resources Required
Effective program implementation requires a number of resources. To begin, any social
campaign must involve human resources who will provide the necessary expertise for the
program to effectively run [5]. The human resources will include decision makers, health care
communities, the public as well as the civil society. Secondly, the campaign needs political
resource vital in obtaining the material, support, and the peaceful environment for running of the
campaign [4]. Furthermore, the campaign must make use of economic resources without which
failure becomes inevitable. Economic resource is the wheel upon which other resources are
based [14]. With the advancement in technology, the internet and innovative resources are also
required in this campaign facilitating communication across social media and websites where the

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adolescents of the digital era are engulfed like a spider web [9. Time is another limited resource
that the campaign must take into caution. Without proper time management, the effects of
depression may spread beyond limits. ]. Moreover, the campaign needs social and personal
resources in the form of friends, family members, and health therapists who encourage
adolescents to seek help for anxiety and depression [4].
Figure 2: Resources Required (Source: Adapted from task 1)
Communication Strategy
The campaign will predominantly make use of social media and other internet related channels to
communicate with adolescents. Through the social media, varied informative and persuasive
posts will be channeled highlighting the benefits of seeking help for depression as well as
stressing the long term effects if anxiety and depression are not managed promptly [12].Social
media posts vary depending on the audience taking the form of texts, motivational quotes and
images, graphs, memes, and info graphics. The content will include healthy behavior, statistics,
and motivation, and periodic humour. Also, the campaign will also make use of a detailed
website designed to meet the literacy levels of adolescents. Additionally, the campaign will use

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posters stationed strategically for the adolescents to view and read. Most notably, they will be
placed at clinical and educational sites.
Moreover, communication strategy for this campaign involves professional and broader
communication. Professional communications involve newsletters, reports, workshops or
conferences. Broader communications involve displaying information at community and
institutional notice boards, newsletters, advertisements, mass media, and shows among others [12].

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Depression and Anxiety Poster

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