(UAE) Worldwide epidemic of depression/anxiety among teens

Oct 9, 2018, Khaleej Times: Youngsters seeking anxiety help on the rise, say experts https://www.khaleejtimes.com/news/uae-health/youngsters-seeking-anxiety-help-on-the-rise-say-experts ...A history of trauma is also a big risk factor. Youngsters and adolescents today are facing mental pressures and are struggling with anxiety. On World Mental Health Day today themed 'Young People and Mental Health in a Changing World,' experts said that many children are facing mood disturbances, including depression…. According to Aamnah Husain, marriage and family therapist at German Neuroscience Centre, Dubai, children and adolescents often struggle with anxiety. "It could be social phobia, which is to worry about other people's perception and judgement and fears about performance or panic attacks or more general anxiety," she said. "At the centre, many children come in with mood disturbances like depression.Other common disorders are Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Autism Spectrum Disorder and for young teens and adolescents eating disorders are also prevalent," she said. "All of these issues are affected by hereditary and biological factors but environmental and psychological influences play a big role as well," added Aamnah…. Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide, affecting more than 300 million people, and although rarer in children it is becoming more evident in adolescents. Fewer than four per cent of young children are said to have depression, but that figure leaps closer to 20 per cent in teenagers, with the stress of school life and social media to blame. …