Depression in Young People: Impacts on Learning
As we move towards the end of the school year, we often reflect on the year that has passed. And what a unique year it has been! It is also a time when many parents and students notice the effects of mental health challenges on the school year that has been. This is obviously difficult to quantify, and varies from person to person. But awareness of the potential impacts of conditions such as depression on well-being and education can help both the student, and those around them, to recognise, validate, normalise, and address educational difficulties as they arise. Recognising possible signs of depression at school can also help in identifying depression early, and facilitating timely support and treatment.
Unfortunately, depression in young people is under-diagnosed and so can be left untreated, leading to compounding difficulties. Some reasons why depression in younger people is not picked up are that they may have difficulty explaining how they are feeling, the symptoms of depression can be dismissed as ‘normal’ in the context of adolescence, or the symptoms may be masked by anger or other negative behaviours.
It is important to note that depression is more than feeling sad. Depression affects all areas of an individual’s wellbeing, including sleep, diet, physical health, self-esteem, social activities, interests, family life and learning. Depression affects the way an individual thinks, how they see themselves and how they view their future.
Of course, depression exists on a continuum, from mild to severe, and the symptoms will similarly vary. However, the main symptoms of depression are to do with feeling sad or irritable, mood changes, and feeling that nothing is worthwhile and that things will never get better. These signs of depression are particularly notable if they occur together, or are not typical of the young person.
Depression affects young people in many ways. These are some of the key signs that the person might show:
Low motivation and loss of interest in activities they usually enjoy
They may be very difficult to motivate to engage in anything and lose interest in hobbies or activities they previously enjoyed. Disinterest in pursuing passions, learning new things and planning for the future may also be evident.
Have difficulty listening, concentrating on tasks and remembering things
Decreased ability to focus and make decisions, and poor working memory. Depression can leave people feeling confused, vague, overwhelmed and frustrated. Even basic everyday tasks can seem difficult.
Low self esteem
Make negative comments about themselves. Thinking they cannot do things, and so it is not worth trying.
Focusing on the negatives
Look for what’s wrong, rather than seeing the positives in situations
Social withdrawal
Withdrawing from social situations and not want to spend time with friends or others.
Irritability and anger
May appear agitated, easily annoyed or upset. May lash out at those around them. May be very difficult to please.
Sadness
Seems sad and cries easily. Can be difficult to reassure or calm.
Eating
May either have no interest in food, or overeat.
Poor sleep and low energy
Has difficulty with going to sleep, staying asleep, waking early, or sleeping excessively. Even after a good night’s sleep, they can feel tired.
Physical symptoms
Headache, fatigue, nausea and unexplained illness are common.
These symptoms of depression will clearly cause problems in many areas of a young person’s life, including social and family relationships, and engaging in activities. Depression may also have a major impact on a young person at school and in their learning.
The following describes some ways in which the symptoms of depression can impact a young person at school and in their learning
Difficulty with tasks and assessments
Commencing tasks/staying on task or even attempting tasks can be impacted due to factors such as decreased ability to attend, concentrate or make decisions. In addition, compromised memory function makes it challenging to retain new information and recall previously learned information. Cognitive function may be further impacted by physiological effects such as being sleepy or very tired if sleep affected, or by decreases in blood sugar levels and energy if food intake is inadequate.
Change in interest in school work and activities, and poor motivation to engage
Reduced motivation or disinterest may be noticed earlier at school than other areas of life because of the lower priority of school work for many students, and leads to poor engagement.
Lowered self esteem
Focus on negative and worrisome thoughts can be distracting, exhausting and demotivating. Feelings of hopelessness or low self-esteem can lead the student to believe they are not capable of learning and that they shouldn’t bother trying.
Reduced social interaction and isolation
The young person may have problems sustaining friendships, and difficulty relating to classmates and teachers because of social withdrawal. They may feel unable to engage in class activities or seek learning assistance as needed. Depression can leave some individuals feeling irritable, agitated, and anxious. They may also become uncharacteristically defiant, disruptive, or aggressive towards others. These factors can result in the student feeling lonely and unsupported.
Lateness to school, frequent absences and/or truancy
This may be due to poor motivation, avoidance of school, or physical symptoms (including fatigue or excessive sleep).
So a young person’s school engagement and ability to learn may suffer due to a range of factors stemming from depressive symptoms. However, it is also important to note that inconsistent academic results are often associated with depression, with students producing great work at times, and seemingly unable to engage or complete a single task at other times. Nonetheless, overall depression will likely negatively influence their academic progress and result in under-achievement and falling behind, leading to exacerbation of the depression.
Identifying depressive symptoms early, including through impacts at school, is important for engaging with effective treatment and minimising longer-term consequences and higher risk.
