VOA慢速英语2019--正常的坏心情还是抑郁？

From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report.

The transition from childhood to the teenage years can be a difficult time. Hormones² in the body can affect a young person's emotions and moods.

As children grow they usually want to pull away from parents and develop their own personality. So, they may talk or act differently as a teenager.

For example, a 15-year-old who used to have a friendly personality can turn irritable³. A 16-year-old who once enjoyed spending time with her family may choose to stay in her room alone.

While these changes in behavior and personality can be difficult, they are for the most part a normal part of the teenage years.

But when is it not normal? When is a change in personality a sign of depression or other mental health issues?

Many parents may not know the difference. A recent poll shows that many Americans do not recognize signs of depression in their preteen and teenage children.

The C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health involved 819 adults in the United States. These men and women had at least one child in middle school, junior high or high school.

Researchers asked these parents about their roles and the roles of schools in recognizing youth depression.

The Mott Poll is a project of the Susan B. Meister Child Health Evaluation⁴ and Research Center at the University of Michigan.

In a story on the poll, the Reuters news agency reports that a majority of parents were sure "they would recognize depression in their preteen or teenager." However, two-thirds of parents admitted they had issues identifying "signs and symptoms of this mental health disorder⁵."

Sarah Clark is a co-director of the study. She notes these transitions can make it "challenging to understand a child's emotional state" and "whether there is possible depression."

Clark adds that "in many families, the preteen and teen years" bring major changes. These changes happen both in youth behavior and the ways in which parents and children interact.

Suicide rates

Some questions in the survey asked the parents about suicide.

One in four said their child knows a peer or classmate with depression. One in 10 reported their child knows a peer or classmate who died by suicide.

In the United States, youth suicide rates continue to rise. Among people ages 10 to 24 years old, the suicide rate increased 56% between 2007 and 2017. These numbers come from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

What can you do to help?

If you think a young person is depressed⁶ and is thinking of suicide, what can you do? The CDC offers the following suggestions:

Ask

If you are worried about someone, ask them directly, "Are you thinking about suicide?" However, mental health experts warn that you should not promise to keep their thoughts of suicide a secret.

Listen

After you ask this question, make sure to listen carefully to the young person. Stay with them and listen to what they need.

Be there

Follow up on the person's condition. Continue to check on them to see how they are doing. If you do not live with them, you could physically⁷ visit them often as well as call them. Let them know you are there for them and they are not alone.

Keep them safe

Take away anything that the person could use to cause self-harm. This could include anything from medications to weapons. Health experts at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health note that this is an important way to prevent suicide.

Find help

People who are suicidal need professional help. But they are often unable or unwilling⁸ to find it themselves. So, find a mental health expert or organization that can help them. Many have telephone hotlines for people seeking help.

Words in This Story

transition – n. a change from one state or condition to another

hormone¹ – n. a natural substance that is produced in the body and that influences the way the body grows or develops

mood – n. an emotional state of mind or feeling

irritable – adj. fiery⁹ or testy¹⁰; easy to anger

poll – n. a public opinion study

symptom – n. a change in the body or mind which indicates that a disease is present

role – n. expected behavior

peer – n. someone of equal standing¹¹

check – v. to ask around; to inspect or examine

hotline – n. a direct telephone line for getting help in an emergency; a telephone service available to the public for some specific purpose

1 hormone   

n.荷尔蒙，激素，内分泌

参考例句：

• Hormone implants are used as growth boosters.激素植入物被用作生长辅助剂。
• This hormone interacts closely with other hormones in the body.这种荷尔蒙与体內其他荷尔蒙紧密地相互作用。

2 hormones   

n. 荷尔蒙，激素 名词hormone的复数形式

参考例句：

• This hormone interacts closely with other hormones in the body. 这种荷尔蒙与体內其他荷尔蒙紧密地相互作用。
• The adrenals produce a large per cent of a man's sex hormones. 肾上腺分泌人体的大部分性激素。

3 irritable   

adj.急躁的；过敏的；易怒的

参考例句：

• He gets irritable when he's got toothache.他牙一疼就很容易发脾气。
• Our teacher is an irritable old lady.She gets angry easily.我们的老师是位脾气急躁的老太太。她很容易生气。

4 evaluation   

n.估价，评价；赋值

参考例句：

• I attempted an honest evaluation of my own life.我试图如实地评价我自己的一生。
• The new scheme is still under evaluation.新方案还在评估阶段。

5 disorder   

n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调

参考例句：

• When returning back,he discovered the room to be in disorder.回家后，他发现屋子里乱七八糟。
• It contained a vast number of letters in great disorder.里面七零八落地装着许多信件。

6 depressed   

adj.沮丧的，抑郁的，不景气的，萧条的

参考例句：

• When he was depressed,he felt utterly divorced from reality.他心情沮丧时就感到完全脱离了现实。
• His mother was depressed by the sad news.这个坏消息使他的母亲意志消沉。

7 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。

8 unwilling   

adj.不情愿的

参考例句：

• The natives were unwilling to be bent by colonial power.土著居民不愿受殖民势力的摆布。
• His tightfisted employer was unwilling to give him a raise.他那吝啬的雇主不肯给他加薪。

9 fiery   

adj.燃烧着的，火红的；暴躁的；激烈的

参考例句：

• She has fiery red hair.她有一头火红的头发。
• His fiery speech agitated the crowd.他热情洋溢的讲话激动了群众。

10 testy   

adj.易怒的；暴躁的

参考例句：

• Ben's getting a little testy in his old age.上了年纪后本变得有点性急了。
• A doctor was called in to see a rather testy aristocrat.一个性格相当暴躁的贵族召来了一位医生为他检查。

11 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。