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The first article I chose was about depression due to COVID-19. It interested me since the rates of depression are significantly increasing recently, mostly from isolation due to the current pandemic. The statistics in the article prove the destructive effects this pandemic has on people, as I can see that myself, from people around me. The lack of socialization creates these saddening and lonely feelings, which lead to bigger problems such as depression and other mental health issues. I can totally agree and relate with the idea of being isolated creates mental health issues. I felt the same way during the pandemic, but fortunately did not grow any serious problems.

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Prior to the pandemic, the nation was already experiencing a youth mental health crisis. According to a nationwide study conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the number of major depressive episodes increased from 12.8% to 15.7% in 12- to 17-year-olds between 2016-2019.

Moreover, as a result of the pandemic and social distancing measures, lack of social interaction has only exacerbated many of the existing mental health issues. New research shows that young adults are one of the few groups reporting an increase of mental health cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Crisis Text Line, a nonprofit mental health texting service, states that its top three topics in conversations since the pandemic started are anxiety, depression and relationships.

Social interaction is essential to one's health. In an interview about her book, "iGen: Why Today's Super-Connected Kids are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy - and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood - and What That Means for the Rest of Us," psychologist Jean Twenge stated, "Face-to-face social interaction tends to protect against depression in a way that digital interaction does not."

For many teens, socializing is an essential part of growing up; the need for strong relationships with peers is necessitated by the natural lessening of interactions with our parents as we grow older. The physical isolation from COVID has left teens feeling lonely and anxious, inducing a form of mental isolation in addition to the physical. The relationships teens normally develop eliminate negative emotions, providing a positive life impact. As Twenge mentions, virtual interaction doesn't offer the same positive effects garnered by physical interaction.

In order to alleviate the strain of increased virtual interaction, health experts recommend getting adequate rest, limiting screen time, relaxing, and speaking to others when you're in need of help. However, for many students, adjusting to a new online focused routine and maintaining one's mental health is a difficult balance to strike.

Students are required to log onto virtual classrooms and remain online for six to seven hours a day. Currently, the Hawaii Department of Education (HIDOE) is deciding whether or not schools should continue online for the rest of the term. The Child and Adolescent Mental Health Division (CAMHD) partnered with HIDOE to provide staff supporting student's mental health, but as students we weren't given specific instructions to contact them personally.

Limiting the required log-in time and work is all students are asking for and is crucial to prevent the worsening of physical and mental health. Implementing these requests will keep teens safe and mentally healthy during distance learning.

With the stay-at-home orders, teens often stay indoors with their family with no proper way of reaching out for help. However, students should be reminded that, despite the physical isolation, they are still a part of a significant network of resources.

The Child Mind Institute, a nonprofit organization providing support for families with children suffering from mental illness and learning disabilities, recommends parents checkup on their children to let them know they have someone they can rely on at home. National depression hotlines like the National Suicide Prevention Hotline and Samaritans offer 24/7 crisis services and help.

As a teen myself, I'm struggling to survive being isolated in my room on four hours of sleep, and usually rely on my friends to motivate me. Perhaps the most significant act is one that is most true to what it means to be a teen - reaching out to your peers and opening the door to a conversation.
Princess Cyrile Butac is a student at James Campbell High School, class of 2022.

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Raise Your Hand: COVID-19 effect on teens: increase in depression rates

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Prior to the pandemic, the nation was already experiencing a youth mental health crisis. According to a nationwide study conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the number of major depressive episodes increased from 12.8% to 15.7% in 12- to 17-year-olds between 2016-2019.

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The second article I chose was the bigger topic of depression and mainly how to help bring awareness to it and how to help people cope with it. This clearly relates to the previous article since both contain the topic of mental illnesses, specifically depression. I chose this article since I think it's important to bring awareness to depression, and also very helpful to many people if you have the skills to comfort or make someone feel better, whether they are depressed or are just having a bad day.

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These past months have been incredibly isolating. Prolonged isolation can trigger feelings of loneliness and depression. A recent study from the CDC suggests that the number of adults experiencing depression symptoms in the U.S. has tripled what it was before the pandemic. In response to the elevated levels of stress among Hoosiers, the Family Social and Services Administration's Division of Mental Health and Addiction established the Be Well Crisis Helpline to provide counseling for those overwhelmed by the stressors of COVID-19.

Chances are someone you know is living with depression. What would you say to someone who you knew was struggling with depression? Would you feel comfortable talking to them about it? It's normal not to know what to say or to feel worried that you will say the "wrong" thing. Don't wait for them to reach out to you for help. Here's what you can do to offer support and help people get the resources they need.

Virginia Aparicio is health and human services director with Purdue Extension Elkhart County. She can be reached at 574-533-0554 or vaparici@purdue.edu.

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These past months have been incredibly isolating. Prolonged isolation can trigger feelings of loneliness and depression. A recent study from the CDC suggests that the number of adults experiencing depression symptoms in the U.S. has tripled what it was before the pandemic.

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The third article relates to the previous article since both have the topics of poor mental health, causes of it, and cures to it. This article focuses on stating how many struggles the youth community has nowadays. This unfolds into the causes of poor mental health, mental illnesses, and how these issues often lead to suicide. Like the other articles, I found it important to understand the causes of these problems, especially since they are most common in my age group of teenagers.

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When my sweet little Daniel was murdered at Sandy Hook Elementary School, In the midst of profound grief and shock, I realized it was more important than ever to continue being the best father I could for my surviving children, James and Natalie. Their sense of the world and their place within it was shaken to the core; their resilience shattered.

So many children today are also seeing their resilience -- the ability to cope with change and trauma -- put under incredible strain. We've already seen a surge in suicidal reports among youth this year as students experience an increase in depression and anxiety, in large part due to social isolation and physical distancing.

Even before the pandemic, suicide among our youth was a growing problem. Suicide has become the second leading cause of death for teenagers, and rates have spiked more than 50 percent in Pennsylvania alone during the past decade. Experts believe the pandemic will only make the situation worse.

By supporting the SAVE Students Act, sponsored by Rep. Karen Boback (R, Luzerne), that's now before the state legislature, suicide awareness and prevention training would be available to every 6th through 12th grade student and educator in the state. But the General Assembly only has until the end of November to move this important and bipartisan legislation forward before the current two-year session ends.

The legislation would provide evidence-based programs for schools that teach how to recognize social isolation, identify the signs of violence and suicide, and when and how to reach out for help. Many of these programs are available at no cost to schools because the cost of doing nothing is far too great.

We need to do something now to protect our students from the immediate and long-term impacts they face from this pandemic that has redefined normal, whether they are in a school building or learning from home.

Our own National Crisis Center and other hotlines around the country are getting tips every day about students who want to take their own lives. Recently, a student called the center to say they wanted "everything to be over" and that "no one cares."

Not only did the student have a plan, but also access to firearms and medications in the home. The local school district and response team was notified, and the student got the help they needed. But there are countless other students who continue to suffer in silence.

Suicide is preventable when youth and adult know the signs of someone in danger of hurting themselves or others and when to reach out for help. Warning signs can include everything from sudden withdrawal from people and activities, extreme mood and personality changes to outright threats of hurting themselves or others.

Losing your child is the worst pain that anyone would ever have to endure. There are still days when I have a difficult time just getting out of bed in the morning, and there are holidays that are too painful to celebrate.

But we can prevent other families from having to endure a similar fate. No parent should have to bury their child.

Help protect all of Pennsylvania's students and create a national model for prevention that will save lives. I urge you to call or write members of the House Education Committee and tell them to support HB2873 today.

Hundreds of youth in Pennsylvania are at risk of taking their own lives during the next year. Act now before it's too late.
Mark Barden is co-founder and managing director of Sandy Hook Promise, and the father of Daniel who was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy on December 14, 2012.

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Suicide: The preventable epidemic killing our youth | Opinion

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When my sweet little Daniel was murdered at Sandy Hook Elementary School, In the midst of profound grief and shock, I realized it was more important than ever to continue being the best father I could for my surviving children, James and Natalie.

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Relating to the previous articles about depression, the fourth article recognizes how physical health has an outcome on mental health. The topic of this got brought up after talking about diabetes, and how exercise helps cope with diabetes and lessens the harshness of it. This article then continues to explain how regular exercise benefits your body in many ways, most importantly by helping reduce chances of depression, or by helping cope with depression. I found it interesting how this happens, and the statistics prove it all to be true.

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November is Diabetes Awareness Month, and every week for the next few weeks Gazette will be sharing information and stories on this medical condition.

This week the focus shifts to the effect diabetes has on individuals and their families. Gazette also looks at the impact diabetes has on families, and how exercise and the correct diet could positively contribute to the way you handle this disease.

Diabetes and depression

According to the organisation Diabetes South Africa, the chances of a person living with diabetes developing depression are two to three times higher than that of other people.

A 2012 study showed people with Type 1 diabetes are three times more likely to have depression, while those who have Type 2 diabetes were twice as likely.

Another 2019 study confirmed these numbers, leading the authors to say that reducing diabetes by 25% could stop 2,34 million cases of depression from happening.

But, believe it or not, research shows that the relationship goes both ways. Having depression can also make a person more likely to develop (Type 2) diabetes.

Marilyn Strydom, a local resident of Robertson, tells Gazette she was diagnosed with depression just weeks after finding out she had Type 2 diabetes.

"My whole life changed in 2016 - everything did," she relates. "My diet had to change, my mindset had to change, and the thought of me living with a disease consumed me. I then started a journey with a psychologist in Somerset West, and then changed my habits. With the love and support of my family I quickly adapted to a new lifestyle and even lost 20 kilograms, and now live life without taking any medication for depression."

Many believe following the correct diet and doing some exercise could assist in the fight against diabetes, and especially the fight against depression.

Diet

Carbohydrate counting is an effective meal management tool for people with both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes who use insulin. The aim of "carb counting" is to balance the mealtime insulin injected with the amount of carbs eaten at each meal.

Some also incorporate fasting into their diet, but Diabetes South Africa says that people should first seek medical advice before embarking on such a journey.

For people living with diabetes, fasting can be associated with risks such as hypoglycaemia. If you intend to fast during, seek medical advice first. It is recommended to avoid large carbohydrate-rich meals, sugary drinks and treats. Include low-GI, high-fibre starches, lean proteins and good fats in both your morning and evening meals. Avoid deep-fried snacks and refined sugar. Rather include more veggies, fruit and salad.

"I opted for a low-carb diet and incorporated loads of fruits and vegetables," Strydom said. "I had a massive sweet tooth and then dived into the world of keto and banting snacks made with xylitol and almond flour. I also switched from drinking fizzy drinks filled with sugar to sticking only to water and rewarding myself with a sugar-free and colourant-free drink once a week."

Diabetes South Africa also explains that exercise holds the key to controlling and managing diabetes.

Exercise

Regular exercise helps your body lower blood-glucose levels, reduces insulin resistance and promotes weight loss, reduces stress and enhances overall fitness and enjoyment of life. Therefore, exercise is not a suggestion, but is medicine and considered one of the main tools to manage diabetes.

When you have Type 2 diabetes, physical activity is an important component of your treatment plan. It's also important to have a healthy meal plan and maintain your blood glucose level through medication or insulin, if necessary.

If you stay fit and active throughout your life you'll be able to control your diabetes better and keep your blood glucose level in the correct range. Controlling your blood-glucose level is essential to preventing long-term complications, such as nerve pain and kidney disease.

Additionally, there are all the traditional benefits of exercise:. Lower blood pressure. Better control of weight. Increased level of good cholesterol (HDL). Leaner, stronger muscles. Stronger bones. More energy. Stress management

"I started by walking," Strydom says. "At first I was heavily unfit and only managed to walk about two kilometers a day. Later on I joined my neighbour for a walk in the morning and later also incorporated a late afternoon walk. Now I manage about five kilometres a day. The lockdown also forced me to look into alternatives, and I started doing yoga - and I love it."

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November is Diabetes Awareness Month, and every week for the next few weeks Gazette will be sharing information and stories on this medical condition. This week the focus shifts to the effect diabetes has on individuals and their families.

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All four of these articles brought awareness to depression. I learned how to recognize depression and how to help comfort someone who may have it. Although I do not have depression myself, I found it was important to know about it since I now know that I can help a few people around me. Along with the talk about depression, I found it important to learn how to maintain a well mental health. It is difficult nowadays to stay in a positive mindset, because of being a teenager under pressure, especially in a pandemic where we often need to isolate ourselves from the world. Learning about all of this makes me eager to apply it into my life, and others'.