Teenage Depressionn and Anxiety

Photo provided by floridatoday.com
Article Written by USA Today (https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/02/21/depression-anxiety-seen-major-problem-among-teens-pew-survey-says/2940998002/)

Summary: In a recent study conducted by the Pew Research Center, with around 1000 teenagers participating, many interesting results have come forth from what these students have to say. Nearly 70% of these teenagers say that anxiety and depression are harmful to their peers, as well as 55% saying bullying was a grand issue. 51% of students said addictions to drugs were big problems and 45% of the students saying alcohol was a negative contributor to student health were also included in the report. Around 50% of these students find that drugs, alcohol and bullying were huge problems in teen mental health and increased student's anxiety and depression. The survey conducted also states that students are spending more time on homework and less time with friends likely due to the stress on excelling and going to college.
Connection: This relates to health class because depression and anxiety are linked to our current unit on stress. It is important to be aware about the causes of these things so that our mental health is excelling.
Questions: Why is there more stress put onto teens for studying? How come 70% of teens feel anxiety and depression play big roles in their struggles? Why do teenagers feel more depressed now compared to previous years?

Eating disorders in teenagers

Summary: It is estimated that about 2.2 billion children between the ages of 13 and 18 will develop an eating disorder. Teenagers have been found to be more likely to have eating disorders because they are under high levels of stress and still attend school, which sometimes has a negative affect on their emotional health. The development of an eating disorder can be a result of many things, though a prime cause is an environment with a high focus on body image.  Bulimia and anorexia are examples of eating disorders. Negative effects include extreme fatigue, an inability to focus, and illnesses such as depression. In some serious cases, heart irregularities can occur as well. While some cases can be severe, eating disorders are treatable.
Connection: This relates to health class because eating disorders can stem from unhealthy diets, and Ms. Beaumont mentioned we'd be learning about nutrition later in the year. It is important to have knowledge regarding nutrition to stay healthy and. 
Questions: Do sports that are focused on weight requirements have any impact on the development of eating disorders?
Are teenagers also not prioritizing eating and eating healthily?

 






             Marijuana is the drug most used in the United States. There are different ways to take this drug, such as smoking and eating. When this drug enters your system it can cause a series of side effects. The main reason why people smoke/ eat it is to feel pleasure, but it can cause different side effects such as, memory loss, harder to concentrate and being extremely tired. In some cases, people have a prescription to take marijuana. It can help for pain. Its really bad for you're health though because it causes cardiovascular problems. A person becomes more prone to having a heart attack.



Why do people smoke when they know that it is bad for their health?
Is there a different way the can find pleasure without smoking?

https://teenshealth.org/en/teens/std.html?WT.ac=hottopic





              STD's also known as sexually transmitted disease are transmitted during sex. One STD is called chlamydia and is transmitted through any type of sex. Some symptoms that may happen are discharge from the vagina, penis or anus, pain in the lower belly, fever, or pain when urinating. It is caused by a type of bacteria. It is treatable, with any of the previous partners you have had, they still have to get treatment even if they do not have the infection because it could appear later int there life.


This relates to health class because Ms. Beaumont mentioned that we would be learning about sti's and std's later in the year and we would also learn how they affect us and how you are able to get them.

Question= Why do you think people take the risk of having a sti or a std when people do unprotected sex.

Teen's Decision Making has a Brain Science Explanation

Picture URL: https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjT142c-9fgAhWjiOAKHRWHDgcQjRx6BAgBEAU&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.betterhelp.com%2Fadvice%2Fadolescence%2Fadolescent-brain-development-and-what-it-means%2F&psig=AOvVaw3B7cGvxhWYTk2D0BZbVuge&ust=1551221135870269

Summary: Researchers are finding that beyond their studies, teens' decisions are influenced by social and emotional factors. Adolescents have a gap between childhood and adulthood when their reward system is more developed than their pre-frontal cortex which is responsible for decision making. During adolescence, teens spend a majority of their time with peers whether they are school mates or friends, these peers are all in the middle of having a developing pre- frontal cortex. Their decisions can be swayed but after maturing, adults are more aware of their decision making and can resist options that are enticing. These decision making are displayed over time of watching a teen make decisions versus when they are older and make a different decision. 
Connection: This connects to health class because we had a unit on decision making and a unit on the brain, learning how the brain reward system is more developed since it is in the back of the brain compared to the pre-frontal cortex which is at the front of the brain and develops until the mid twenties and how the science of the brain can effect decision making in teens. 
Question: If some people are more mature than others, then do they have a more developed pre-frontal cortex to brain reward system ratio compared to someone who has a more developed brain reward system to pre-frontal cortex ratio?

Link to Article: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0963721412471347

Vitamin D and its affect on the brain

Summary:  Vitamin D is necessary for a multitude of functions, from maintaining strong bones to benefiting the immune and cardiovascular system.  Now, in a new experiment from Thomas Burne it was found that a lack of vitamin D may result in a decrease in perineuronal nets in the hippocampus.  Lack in vitamin D also causes weaker and less neural connections.  These ultimately causes a decrease in cognitive function.  This could be a factor in symptoms of schizophrenia such as memory loss and cognitive disorders.  This causes a decrease in the ability to learn and memorize new things.

Connection to health class:This connects to health class because we are told that going outside is always important.  We are also told about maintain a healthy lifestyle which now includes getting vitamin D and going outside. Lastly, during the brain unit we learned about the brain, which this discusses.

Question:  How much vitamin D is an adequate amount, and how many hours of sunlight is required for that to be achieved?

Sleepy in the U.S: Schools move start time to manage teens' need for zzz's

Picture and article URL: https://newsela.com/read/seattle-sleepystudents/id/13725/

Summary: Teens, scientists, and parents all agree that sleep is essential to retain more knowledge during school. School administrators around the United States are reluctantly now complying to this request to start school later. According to many doctors around the states getting more sleep can "lead to improvements not only in their grades but also other areas of their lives".  Sleep deprivation can lead to overall poor health and can impact your report card as well. Seattle School Boards have agreed to delay all high school start times to 8:45 am. This movement has a long ways to go and hopefully in a few years all high schools will adapt to this new policy. Research shows later start times help combat sleep deprivation in teens, who naturally fall asleep later than their parents would like. They also improve academic success, attendance and mental health and cut sleep-related car accidents. High school students agree that this change in their bell schedule will help them get more sleep and not have them struggling to stay awake.

Connection to health class: This article relates to health class because we just finished learning about sleep. This article supports the information we learned in health,and how sleep can affect both your mental and physical health. I believe this new policy will be favored by the majority of students and Aragon and other schools in the district. I believe this policy will benefit all members of the Aragon community including students, parents, staff, and teachers, and I hope this will be reinforced in California soon. 

Question: Would changing the bell schedules result in a higher degree of education for all students?

Medicine

Picture and Article URL: https://newsela.com/read/teens-sleep-aids/id/47259/
Summary: Sleep deprivation is a chronic issue found among teenagers today. Researchers estimate that 25% of teens turn to medication in order to assist them in falling asleep. Some examples of these medicines include herbals, cold medication (NyQuil, Benadryl, etc.). The problematic aspect of taking these medicines is that they are supposed to help you sleep when you have a cold, not when you are healthy. Additionally, doctors typically differ in terms of viewpoints on this issue. Many of them don't bring the topic up with their patients, therefore leaving it unaddressed. 
Connection: This connects to health class because sleep and a lack of sleep can lead to stress in a number of ways. Sleep deprivation can cause students to retain less information which can impact their future. 
Question: What are the negative effects of taking sleep medicine unnecessarily?