Depression On the Rise

It lurks behind familiar faces and stiff upper lips. It affects sheep and shepherd alike. It strikes over 18 million American adults every year. That silent problem is depression.

Depression has plagued society for centuries, but it seems cases of major depressive episodes have increased alarmingly in recent years. Among God’s people that trend is no different. Pastoral candidates coming from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary are expected to have at least limited training in counseling the depressed. Much ministry time in the field is spent counseling those coping with this ailment that affects body, mind and soul. I don’t think I’d be wrong in saying that at some point everyone is or will be affected by depression whether dealing with it himself or dealing with a loved one who has it.

Depression becomes all the more challenging because Satan loves to use it as a way to snatch sheep from the flock of the Good Shepherd, even pushing people to the point of despair. Nowadays it’s not unusual to hear about a suicide or attempted suicide that was in some way linked to depression.

It’s not surprising, then, to read a headline like “Teen Depression Statistics Reveal High Numbers of Crippled Teens”, as came out today on ChurchRelevance.com. I’ve provided the text of that report below…

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Researchers from SAMHSA and RTI International discovered that an alarming number of teenagers experience major depression. In fact, 1 in every 12 teenagers (8.5%) aged 12 to 17 experienced a major depressive episode (MDE) within a one year period.

• 1 in 8 teen girls (12.7%) experienced a major depressive episode
• 1 in 21 teen boys (4.6%) experienced a major depressive episode

The likelihood of a teenager experiencing a MDE increases with age.

Among teens with a past year MDE, how many are impaired by the MDE in at least one of four role domains (i.e., home, school/work, family relationships, or social life)?

• 1 in 5 (21.0%) reported very severe impairment lasting an average 58.4 days
• 1 in 2 (48.3%) reported severe impairment lasting an average 25.8 days
• 1 in 4 (25.0%) reported moderate impairment lasting an average 14.1 days
• 1 in 19 (5.3%) reported mild impairment lasting an average 11.7 days
• 1 in 250 (0.4%) reported no impairment

For more details, read the full report. It is saddening to see so many teenagers being crippled by depression. Based on these statistics, there is a good chance someone in your youth group is experiencing a major depressive episode.

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Though few, if any, of us are trained and licensed to diagnose depression, it is still important for us to know how to identify depression and how to minister to those suffering from it. That may include referring the counselee to a licensed Christian counselor or a therapist. There are also any number of solid biblical resources out there to help as you minister to the depressed. Here’s a couple recommendations of my own…

• Pressed Down, But Not Forgotten by H. Curtis Lyon & John Juern – Focuses on counseling the depressed through the use of the Word and how to work with a counselor when a referral is necessary. Very easy to use and should be kept handy on the shepherd’s shelf

• Counseling at the Cross: Using the Power of the Gospel in Christian Counseling by H. Curtis Lyon – A Lutheran gem that should be on every pastor’s shelf. Unfortunately out of print, but copies can be found online

• Wisconsin Lutheran Child & Family Service – A great resource for sheep and shepherds alike!

For Discussion:

• What resources would you recommend for ministering to those suffering from depression?
• How do we help our young people prevent or cope with depression?