In 2019, among the 12 – 17 – year – old population in the United States, the annual prevalence of major depressive disorder diagnosed through DSM – 5 interviews was 15.8%. The prevalence was particularly high among females, reaching 23.4%, compared with 8.6% among males.
Related Influencing Factors
- Family Environment: An adverse family environment, such as parental conflicts, family member divorces, and lack of parental attention and support, can all bring psychological trauma to adolescents and increase their risk of depression.
- School Pressure: With the increasingly fierce educational competition, academic pressure is constantly rising. Adolescents are faced with high – intensity learning tasks and various competitions. Prolonged study pressure and test anxiety can significantly affect adolescents’ mental health.
- Social Factors: Fierce academic competition, employment pressure, the popularization of social media, and social expectations all have a negative impact on adolescents’ mental health. Adolescents often feel that they cannot meet social expectations of them, leading to problems such as low self – esteem, anxiety, and depression.
- Biological Factors: Adolescence is a critical period for physical and psychological development. Due to physiological changes, adolescents often experience large emotional fluctuations and are prone to mood swings and depressive symptoms. In addition, the adolescent brain is not yet fully developed, and their ability to cope with stress and regulate emotions is relatively weak, making them more likely to fall into a depressive state.
In the current educational environment, the phenomenon of “tiger parenting” is common. However, it is accompanied by the younger age of depression onset, putting parents in a dilemma: should they pursue their children’s excellence or safeguard their children’s happiness?
“Tiger parenting” education often brings huge pressure to children. In order to enable their children to achieve excellent academic results, parents arrange a large number of learning tasks and extracurricular tutoring classes for their children. As a result, children’s after – school time is greatly occupied, and they lose the opportunity to play freely and explore their interests. In the long – term high – pressure state, children’s physical and mental health has been seriously affected, and psychological problems such as depression and anxiety have gradually emerged, showing a trend of younger age of onset.
However, parents’ original intention of hoping their children to be excellent is also understandable. In a highly competitive society, excellent children are often able to obtain more opportunities and resources and better adapt to social development and changes. Parents worry that if their children do not study hard, they will not be able to enter a good university, find a good job, or gain a foothold in society in the future.
But children’s happiness is equally crucial. A happy childhood can lay a solid psychological foundation for a child’s life, enabling them to have a positive and optimistic attitude, good emotional regulation ability, and strong stress – resistance ability. A happy child is more willing to take the initiative to learn and explore, is enthusiastic and curious about life, and can maintain an indomitable spirit when facing difficulties and setbacks.
In fact, excellence and happiness are not mutually exclusive; instead, they can promote and complement each other. Parents can guide their children to experience happiness in the pursuit of excellence and achieve excellence in a happy atmosphere.
On the one hand, parents should abandon the educational concept of “solely focusing on scores” and establish a diversified view of talent. Excellence is not only reflected in academic performance but also includes good moral character, a healthy body and mind, wide – ranging hobbies, innovative thinking, and practical abilities. Parents should pay attention to their children’s all – round development, discover their children’s shining points and potential, and encourage their children to study and explore in depth in areas they are interested in, allowing children to experience happiness and a sense of accomplishment in the pursuit of their interests.
On the other hand, parents should create a relaxed and harmonious family environment for their children, allowing them to feel the warmth and support of home. Parents should respect their children’s personalities and choices, give their children sufficient autonomy and space, and enable them to freely express their thoughts and feelings. When children encounter difficulties and setbacks, parents should give encouragement and guidance to help their children build confidence in overcoming difficulties and make them feel happy and secure at home.
Parents can also guide their children to establish a correct learning attitude and goals, making them understand that the purpose of learning is not only to achieve good grades but also to improve their abilities and qualities and lay a solid foundation for future development. During the learning process, parents can help their children develop reasonable learning plans, cultivate their learning methods and habits, and enable them to learn in a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere. At the same time, parents should also pay attention to their children’s physical and mental health education, guide their children to correctly understand and express their emotions, and cultivate their children’s emotional management ability and psychological resilience.
In the current situation where the hidden dangers of “tiger parenting” education are prominent and the age of depression onset is getting younger, parents need to find a balance between their children’s excellence and happiness, allowing their children to pursue excellence in happiness and experience happiness in excellence. Only in this way can healthy, well – rounded children be cultivated.
